Oil spill in Queensland, Australia

A nature conservation officer carries a pelican, covered in oil, from the beach on Moreton Island near Brisbane, Australia Photograph: Tertius Pickard/AP

A conservation officer looks out over the oil spill on the beach on Moreton Island near Brisbane, Australia Photograph: Tertius Pickard/AP

A pelican is seen in front of the Hong Kong cargo ship Pacific Adventurer docked at Hamilton Wharf Photograph: Tony Phillips/EPA

Council workers begin clean up at low tide on Marcoola beach, Moreton Island, Queensland Photograph: Megan Slade/Rex Features

Aerial view of the oil spill on a beach. TV crews film the spill on Moreton Island, Queensland Photograph: David Kapernick/Rex Features

A general view from Kawana beach is seen with the effects of an oil slick which from the container ship Pacific Adventurer Photograph: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

A dead blowfish is seen in the oil slick on Marcoola beach yesterday Photograph: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Four-wheel drive tracks cut through a huge oil slick that blackens the sand of pristine beach near Cape Moreton on Moreton Island, Queensland, yesterday Photograph: Dave Hunt/Getty

Oil blackens the sand of a beach closed due to an oil slick at Marcoola Photograph: Steve Gray/EPA

Spectators watch as oil-filled waves wash on to Coolum beach Photograph: Dennis Passa/AP

The start of the clean-up of a huge oil slick on Warana beach Photograph: Dave Hunt/EPA

A huge oil slick on Warana beach has been labelled an 'environmental disaster' by the government of Queensland Photograph: Dave Hunt/EPA

Spilt oil is shown leaking from the Hong Kong cargo ship Pacific Adventurer docked at Hamilton Wharf in Brisbane Photograph: EPA

The path to the beach is blocked as council workers use heavy machinery to remove contaminated sand in Coolum, Queensland Photograph: Paul Harris/Getty

Clean-up starts on the huge oil slick on Warana beach Photograph: Dave Hunt/EPA

A nature conservation officer catches a pelican covered in oil Photograph: Tertius Pickard/AP

A tourist photographs the oil spill on the beach Photograph: Tertius Pickard/AP

Clean-up starts on oil deposits washed up on Maroochydore beach after more than 30 tonnes of fuel oil leaked into the ocean Photograph: Dave Hunt/EPA