Sydney - Australian officials raced against the clock on Monday to refloat a massive Chinese ship which grounded and leaked oil at the Great Barrier Reef before high winds and heavy seas rock the region.
Salvage workers were expected to begin the difficult task at about 6.00pm (08.00GMT), with efforts given new urgency as the weather bureau warned strong winds could bring up to three-metre (10-foot) swells on Tuesday.
"Doing nothing at the moment is not an option," said Maritime Safety Queensland general manager Patrick Quirk.
"We would need to try to move that vessel before the swell and the wind increases tomorrow afternoon."
He warned that shifting the 230-metre Shen Neng 1, which has been stuck on Douglas Shoal for more than a week, risked leaking more oil at the world-famous marine park after an initial slick three kilometres (two miles) long.
Officials have pumped most of about 1 000 tons of heavy fuel oil off the ship, but had wanted to try to move the ship in daylight to watch for more spills. However, the operation may now be carried out in darkness.
Quirk warned there were "no guarantees" of successfully freeing the ship, which is heavily laden with 68 000 tons of Australian coal.
He said rescuers would take advantage of high tides late on Monday or early on Tuesday, and would send extra tugs to pull the ship free if it is still stuck when the weather turns.
"It's not ideal conditions but these salvors save vessels in the middle of the north Atlantic storms and I'm sure we can get the vessel off," he said.
"Unfortunately, the vessel will probably suffer more damage during that process and there's increased risk of oil leaking from the vessel in those circumstances."
Australia has accused the ship's crew of taking an illegal route through the world heritage-listed reef when it grounded on April 3 and leaked about two tonnes of oil, threatening a major environmental disaster.
Transport Minister Anthony Albanese said prosecutors would be "throwing the book" at those responsible for the crash, which has provoked anger among officials, conservationists and the public.
Three crew of another bulk carrier accused of taking a short-cut not far from some of the reef's main tourist spots were bailed by an Australian court on Monday and were due to re-appear on Friday.
South Korean Gang Chun Han, 63, master of the Panama-flagged MV Mimosa, and Vietnam's Tran Tan Thanh and Nguyen Van Sang are facing maximum fines of 225 000 Australian dollars for taking an illegal route without permission.
Officials promised to crack down on ships using the vast reef, already under threat from rising sea temperatures and pollution, as a "rat run" to save time and costs after the Shen Neng 1's accident en route to China.
Conservationists say the accident highlights the risk to Australia's unique environment posed by rocketing resources exports to Asian countries, which are fuelling a strong recovery from the global financial crisis. - AFP