Bay of Plenty Regional Council advises boaties to stay off the water due to the large amount of debris and containers in the coastal waters following the Rena breaking up.

Any boaties who head out should be extremely vigilant and aware of the risk of hitting floating and submerged items.

The harbourmaster has established a cautionary area in the western Bay of Plenty, which includes the area from Waihi Beach to Mayor Island to Maketu.

All vessels in this area are recommended to navigate with extreme caution, proceed at slow speed, keep a good lookout and travel through the area in daylight only. The debris field is extensive and its movement is unpredictable and could extend further, the council says.

The current Rena exclusion zone remains in place until further notice – a three-nautical-mile radius around Astrolabe Reef.  This will be reviewed on a daily basis and may be extended as more information is collected.

Anyone found in the exclusion zone without the express permission of the harbourmaster may face fines or prosecution.

The regional council has been advised that beaches have not been closed, however swimmers are also urged to stay out of the water due to the large amount of debris washing up.

The Port of Tauranga continues to be fully operational and is communicating directly with ships coming into and exiting the harbour around navigational safety.

Locals are  being asked to notify Maritime New Zealand immediately by calling 0800 645 774 if they see oil in the water, or 0800 333 771 if containers or debris are spotted coming ashore.

Braemar Howells operations manager Claudene Sharp said the priority was to prevent as many of them as possible from beaching. Found containers are tagged with buoys and they are being corralled and collected as conditions allow.

(Picture credit: Maritime New Zealand)