A line has finally been drawn under one of the most costly casualties ever, with a New Zealand court ruling that what is left of the wrecked 3,032-teu containership Rena (built 1990) can be abandoned.

The verdict from the Environment Court of New Zealand puts the cost of salvage and wreck removal since the Rena ran aground on a reef in the Bay of Plenty in October 2011 at an astonishing NZD 900m ($650m).