The captain and navigational officer of a ship strickened in New Zealand waters appeared in court on Wednesday.
The two Philippine nationals, aged 44 and 37, were charged with operating a vessel in a manner causing unnecessary danger or risk.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail.
Salvage crews meantime returned to the container ship off the New Zealand coast.
Four crew members were dropped from helicopters onto the stranded boat, the Rena, to assess damage that had been caused by an overnight storm.
(SOUNDBITE) (English) HELICOPTER SERVICES HOIST OPERATOR, SIMON BARTON, SAYING:
"It's high risk out there. We're winching into a very very tight area, and dealing with the wind and everything else that goes on out there. But what we do, we do very slow and safe. We've got people on the end of the wire, and we're put into a very tight area, and safety and human life is paramount."
Only 90 tonnes of oil have been pumped out, with 1,200 tonnes remaining.
The crew said they will add more booster pumps to speed up the recovery operation.
Sophia Soo, Reuters.
