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MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Coast Guard will submit this week its report on the grounding of the minesweeper USS Guardian at Tubbataha Reef, 4 months after the incident, which damaged some 2,000 square meters of coral in the area.
Coast Guard commandant Rear Admiral Rodolfo Isorena told radio dzBB that the report is 90% complete and would be turned over to Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya within the week.
The report, done by the Coast Guard’s Marine Casualty Investigation Team, aims to narrate the circumstances behind the USS Guardian’s grounding in January.
The Tubbataha Management Office (TMO) said the USS Guardian ignored warnings that it was nearing the protected area.
The report is also expected to come up with recommendations on how to prevent a similar incident from happening.
Parts of the minesweeper were fully extracted in March. An assessment by experts showed that damage to the reef amounted to $1.4 million.
The park management filed a formal protest with the US Embassy in Manila over the behavior of the USS Guardian’s commanding officer, who allegedly initially deployed armed sailors on deck to prevent park rangers from approaching the minesweeper.
The US Navy apologized for the incident and sacked 4 officials.
Meanwhile, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said that Tubbataha should be declared a “particularly sensitive sea area” (PSSA) after a Chinese vessel also ran aground at it in April.
On April 8, a week after the last parts of the US minesweeper were removed from the reef, a Chinese fishing boat carrying 12 persons ran aground at “1.1 NM east of Ranger Station, Tubbataha Reef.”
The 12 were charged for poaching and for allegedly attempting to bribe park rangers.
The Chinese vessel, which was smaller than the US minesweeper, destroyed 66% more coral than the USS Guardian did, with the damage spanning 3,902 square meters.
The TMO welcomed UNESCO’s recommendation, as declaring Tubbataha a PSSA would bar vessels – except those stationed there to monitor illegal fishing activities – from traversing the area.
Experts from UNESCO would help TMO prepare its application to have Tubbataha, a World Heritage site, declared as a PSSA. – Rappler.com
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