Australia steps up Barrier Reef surveillance

Australia steps up Barrier Reef surveillance    Australian maritime authorities said this week they would begin subjecting ships transiting the Great Barrier Reef to stronger surveillance in the wake of an accident involving a Chinese bulk carrier, the BBC reported.
   The Shen Neng I leaked about three tons of oil into the sea off the reef after hitting a sandbank earlier this month. The Chinese coal carrier ran aground in restricted waters around the reef.
   'Ships sailing through southern parts of the Great Barrier Reef will be tracked by satellite and required to regularly report their movements under the new regulations,' the report said. 'Vessels using the reef’s northern expanses are already subject to such strict monitoring. Moves to extend the system were being drawn up before the Shen Neng 1 hit a sandbank at full speed earlier this month, causing extensive damage. The environmental scare has added greater urgency to efforts to ensure that freighters can safely negotiate the sensitive waters of the Great Barrier Reef.'