US ship turns, damages more coral

From Rappler (Jan 20): US ship turns, damages more coral



STILL STUCK. Philippine Air Force aerial image of the USS Guardian near the upper side of Tubbataha's South Atoll. Photo courtesy of AFP WESCOM

The US ship stuck inside the protected area of Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park in the Sulu Sea turned around due to the strong currents and winds, damaging more coral, the military said on Sunday, January 20. About 17 meters of the US Navy minesweeper's hull are now aground, 7 m more than before, according to Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Western Command chief Lt Gen Juancho Sabban.

Sabban told Rappler that the coral damage will be "more than the original estimate" and explained it was the rough sea and strong winds that caused the ship to turn 90 degrees. "With the assistance of the Americans, we are now looking at ways to pull [the vessel] out," added the AFP commander. A number of boats – among them another US Navy minesweeper and American salvage tugboats – have been sent to the area to help extricate the ship stuck since Thursday, January 17. "This is going to continue for a few days. It is a very difficult operation and the forecast is that the weather will not improve soon," Sabban said.

 

BEFORE AND AFTER. The USS Guardian turned 90 degrees in 4 days dragged by the strong currents and winds of the Sulu Sea. Graphic by Bardo Wu from photos courtesy of AFP WESCOM

'Sea too rough'

Four days after the USS Guardian crashed onto the reef, American officers are now closely coordinating with park rangers and personnel from the Philippine Coast Guard dispatched to the area.
Park chief supervisor Angelique Songco said the US Navy is ready to kick off the operation to extricate the boat "but the sea is too rough to do anything at the moment." "We are biting our nails waiting," she told Rappler on Sunday.

Songco added that the Americans are much more cooperative now and have established a joint command center with the Philippine Navy in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, the closest port to Tubbataha. The park management on Friday, January 18, filed a formal protest with the US Embassy in Manila over the behavior of the USS Guardian's commanding officer, who – according to Songco – initially deployed armed sailors on deck to prevent the rangers from approaching the minesweeper stuck inside the area under their jurisdiction. Most of the crew have been transferred to another ship and only 7 sailors, among them the commanding officer and an executive officer, remain on board, the US Pacific Fleet said on Friday.

Faulty charts, gov't probe

The US Navy on Saturday, January 19, announced it will send its own team to investigate if it was faulty navigational charts that caused the USS Guardian to veer off its course. The probe "will include information on faulty navigation chart data that misplaced the location of Tubbataha Reef," the US Pacific Fleet explained in a statement. "Initial review of navigation data indicates an error in the location of Tubbataha Reef" on the digital map, said US Navy chief navigator Rear Admiral Jonathan White.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte announced on Saturday that various government agencies will be conducting their own investigation on what happened. The US Navy may be charged with violating sections 19 and 26 of Republic Act 10067 or the Tubbataha Reefs National Park (TRNP) Act of 2009. It can also expect to pay P12,000 per sqm of damaged coral inside the multi-awarded conservation project and one of the world's best dive sites.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/20070-us-ship-turns,-damages-more-coral-in-tubbataha