Australian beaches a 'disaster zone' after oil spill

Authorities in Australia declared dozens of popular tourist beaches on the northeast coast as disaster zones Friday, their once-pristine sands now fouled by a massive oil and chemical slick.

Queensland state's marine safety authority said up to 100 tonnes of fuel were now believed to have spilled from the Hong Kong-flagged ship Pacific Adventurer amid cyclonic conditions early Wednesday.

Moreton and Bribie Islands, and parts of the popular Sunshine Coast, were declared disaster zones.

"This may well be the worst environmental disaster we have seen in southeast Queensland," the state's leader Anna Bligh said.

Initial estimates put the spill at 30 tonnes, but authority spokesman John Watkinson said up to 100,000 litres could be washing up along a 60-kilometre (40-mile) stretch of the region's beaches, sickening local wildlife.

"We really want to know what amount is out there," said Wilkinson. "It's a hell of a lot more than 30 tonnes."

Describing it as a "potential environmental tragedy", Prime Minister Kevin Rudd pledged full government support for the clean-up effort, which could cost millions of dollars.

The oil flooded Moreton Bay, near the state capital Brisbane, after wild seas whipped up by tropical cyclone Hamish toppled 31 containers of ammonium nitrate fertiliser from the ship's deck.

As they fell the containers punctured the hull, before taking 620 tonnes of the explosive chemical to the ocean floor.

The vessel's owners, Swire Shipping, face 1.5 million dollars (977,000 US dollars) in fines if found guilty of environmental or maritime breaches, and have indicated they will meet the clean-up costs, estimated at 100,000 dollars per day.

"The company very much regrets the environmental impact caused as a consequence of the vessel being caught in Cyclone Hamish," Swire said in a statement.

"The company and its insurers will meet all their responsibilities."

Experts fear the fertiliser, a nutrient-rich chemical, could cause damaging algal blooms, suffocate fish and kill natural habitats.

Moreton Bay, a marine sanctuary, is home to a range of sea birds and other creatures, including turtles, dolphins and pelicans.

"The flow-on effects of oil spills can be substantive," an environmental protection authority spokesman said. "The longer-term impacts are yet to be realised."