Peninsula and Matipo students learn to tackle oil spills

Oozing lesson: Shylo Ngati, 10, left, and Abigail Bridges, 11 learn how oil floating on water can be removed by a machine called a skimmer.

By Rani Timoti

Children from the Matipo and Peninsula primary schools are pretty knowledgeable when it comes to pollution and how to clean it up.

They've just spent a day with the Maritime New Zealand Marine Pollution Response Service, learning how to tackle oil spills and taking part in some fun activities while they were there.

The service is based at Te Atatu Peninsula and is the country's leading oil spill response agency. It has a team of highly skilled experts who carry out regular exercises and train regional council staff in a range of scenarios.

"Oil spills, sewage, chemicals, ballast water and antifouling paints all pose very serious threats to our marine environment," general manager Nick Quinn says.

The children visited the service as part of World Maritime Day celebrations this month.