<p>The captain and second officer of a ship that caused New Zealand's biggest sea pollution disaster pleaded guilty to criminal charges and could face lengthy jail terms, officials said.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The officers were in charge of the Liberian-flagged Rena when it ploughed into a reef last year, releasing an oil slick that killed thousands of sea birds and fouled beaches in the North Island's pristine Bay of Plenty.<br /><br />The men, both Filipinos, pleaded guilty to operating a ship in a dangerous manner and attempting to pervert the course of justice by altering navigation records after the accident, Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) said on Wednesday.<br /><br />At a hearing in the Tauranga District Court, the captain also admitted discharging harmful substances from the cargo vessel, MNZ said.</p>
<p>The captain and second officer of a ship that caused New Zealand's biggest sea pollution disaster pleaded guilty to criminal charges and could face lengthy jail terms, officials said.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The officers were in charge of the Liberian-flagged Rena when it ploughed into a reef last year, releasing an oil slick that killed thousands of sea birds and fouled beaches in the North Island's pristine Bay of Plenty.<br /><br />The men, both Filipinos, pleaded guilty to operating a ship in a dangerous manner and attempting to pervert the course of justice by altering navigation records after the accident, Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) said on Wednesday.<br /><br />At a hearing in the Tauranga District Court, the captain also admitted discharging harmful substances from the cargo vessel, MNZ said.</p>