Destruction of natural beauty

Last week my daughter was in an absolute lamentable state. I found out the reason was because a US Navy Minesweeper had run aground in one of her favorite diving spots in the country, Tubbataha Reef near the Sulu Sea. She was dismayed over the coral damage that occurred through this unfortunate incident and I can definitely understand why, as she had told me years before that diving in Tubbataha had been one of the most memorable dives she had ever had, and that the natural beauty of the reef was astounding and could not be compared to anything she had ever seen before.

Tubbataha Reef is a national treasure and one of the few untouched diving spots in the country today. Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO 25 years ago, the reef is a multi-awarded conservation project and one of the most lauded dive spots in the world for its natural beauty, abundant marine life, and thriving coral reefs which have been protected and preserved for years. Considered one of the best reefs in the world, it consists of two coral atolls and wide range of marine life including over 600 species of fish, 360 species of corals, several species of sharks and dolphins and whales, 100 species of birds, and several species of sea turtles. Divers frequent the reef yearly just to briefly be a part of this thriving ecosystem and see all sorts of marine treasures ranging from reef tip sharks, schools of hundreds of jacks, manta rays, hammerhead sharks, and more.

And then, just like that, a ship runs aground destroying at the very least 10 meters of thousands of years old coral with its hull. This is the same reef that divers and environmentalists revere, always being careful not to even touch it during dive expeditions, gone in the blink of eye that it takes for a lost ship to run aground. This is coral in its pristine state unaffected by bleaching and industrialism, thriving in blue waters with a bustling ecosystem of fish ever present. It’s enough to bring a tear to anyone’s eye.

According to the news, the US ship USS Guardian had just completed a port run in Subic Bay and was on its way to Indonesia. They were heading to East Timor for training exercises. Then, according to the US Navy, a faulty map and navigation system caused them to stray from their destination and wind up in Tubbataha Reef. And at present it is still heavily grounded and being hit by strong winds, which could serve to damage the coral atoll even further.

Understandably, my daughter, an avid diver and lover of the ocean, was distraught by the thought of her paradise being the target of such destruction. And she is not alone. The Philippines as well as members of environmental organizations from various parts of the world have pledged to make sure the United States pays (at least monetarily) for the reefs that were damaged in the wake of this accident. Public officials have assured us that compensation for the damaged reefs will be sought from the US. In a previous interview, Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau director, Theresa Mundita Lim said the assessment of the damage will depend on the condition and extent of the coral cover in the affected area. The baseline peg for damages currently stands at P12,000 per square meter of coral damaged.

This is actually not the first time an unfortunate incident like this has happened. In 2005, the Rainbow Warrior ship of the group Greenpeace also hit the reef in Tubbataha damaging 32 meters of coral. They paid a fine of $6,857 for the damage according to their website, roughly P384,000. According to them, the chart they were using had shown them to be miles away from the reef when they ran aground.

Presently it is impossible to tell how much damage as occurred until the USS Guardian is successfully removed. It is still very heavily entrenched in the area and plans are underway to determine the best possible way to remove it safely from the reef. The United States Navy alongside Tubbataha Park officials and environmental officers need to all work together to find the safest way to remove the vessel while minimizing further damage. The plan is to be conducted as soon as possible to get the ship out of the park. Once the ship is successfully removed, then true assessment of the damage to the reef can truly begin. Alongside determining the physical damage to the coral, damage to habitats and breeding areas, which can affect marine life, will also be taken into account.

The main problem now though is the timely and safe salvage of the ship. Not only is further reef damage a concern, but also possible leaks and oil spills as well. Currently the vessel is said to be flooded within so steps will also have to be taken to ensure it can still float once removed. Should this not be possible, there are also talks of lifting it out the reef and pulling it away aboard a heavy lifting vessel. The most important part of the plan is that it causes no further damage to the surrounding areas.

This is the first and most important step to be undertaken now. However, there are other things to consider as well including how this accident happened in the first place. Government officials will take the explanation of the faulty map at face value; however there also remains the question of did they ignore the park officials who patrol the area warning them about their location. There are a handful of park rangers who live daily in Tubbataha, made up of Coast Guard and Navy personnel, tasked with the job of patrolling the area to make sure no fishing boats or unauthorized vessels penetrate the 968.24 sq. km. protected area. Reports indicate that one of these rangers tried to warn the USS Guardian before she ran aground.

Additionally, Philippine senators have voiced their opinion as well that the United States issue a simple formal apology for the unfortunate incident. While the US Navy as already issued an apology, some feel that this is not enough and that the US Ambassador should also issue an apology for the accident. Just to ensure the Philippines that they are taking this as seriously as we are. It was an accident, for sure, but there still needs to be accountability. A formal apology for the destruction of a portion of our national treasure is another step in the right direction. That along with proper compensation for the destroyed area of the reef is the right thing to do for the United States and would be no less than what they themselves would demand should our roles be reversed.

There is definitely still much to be done to successfully put this unfortunate incident behind us. Damage assessment can’t even fully begin until we are able to successfully conduct the delicate extraction of the navy ship from the reef. What’s more is that, even with just monetary compensation, it will take years and years for the reef to naturally rehabilitate itself. This is a process that cannot be rushed or “paid” for by any amount of money.