Salvors have finally resumed recovery work on the stricken vessel after an extended period of bad weather.

But Braemar Howells says despite the stormy weather, they have had to continue to patrol the wreck as vessels venture too close to the container ship which has been grounded off the coast of Tauranga since October 5 last year.

The breaches are being dealt with by the harbourmaster.

Salvors are doing preparatory work on the bow before sections can be removed.

The Rena snapped in half on January 9 and the two sections of the vessel had been resting on the Astrolabe Reef.

The vessel leaked around 350 tonnes of oil, containers fell into the sea and wildlife was killed after it grounded on the reef.

Debris still an issue

Braemar Howells operations manager Neil Lloyd says plastic beads washing on to the shoreline from the wreck continue to be a problem in the Coromandel and as far down as Waihi Beach.

He says a hundred bags of beads and flotsam have been recovered so far.

"There are 38 beaches on the Coromandel and they all require different recovery methods," he said.

"The beads aren't clumped together in large masses, but they are spread over a very wide area."

In other areas, staff are continuing to use smaller portable vacuum units which have a drum attached to a 15 metre hose. The clean-up teams have been using a large vacuum system called a 'billygoat' which can be driven along the high tide line, sucking the beads into a collection bag at the back.

http://www.turkishmaritime.com.tr/

source: Television New Zealand