It is bad enough reefs are
dying all over the world due to multiple human causes; the US Navy, whose
environmental record is questionable, grounds one of its minesweepers on Tubbataha Reef National Park
[photo]. Fortunately for the marine creatures living there, a Malaysian tug,
Vos Apollo, was able to take the
USS Guardian's fuel off without spilling it. However, the 68 meter ship remains grounded and its steel haul is pulverizing the delicate coral structures beneath it. Monsoon winds are making it difficult to float the ship and it is taking water.
The ship is too damaged to tow off. Hundreds of meters of the once pristine reef have been flattened according to the
WWF/Philipines. 7th Fleet Vice-Admiral Scott Swift apologized for the damage and said his agency takes environmental protection seriously. The usual
post hoc investigation will look at digitized charts of the area which misplaced the location of Tubbataha Reef.
WWF says additional measures should be taken to protect one of the jewels of the Coral Triangle. Sanctions that could be imposed for violating the Tubbataha Reef National Park Act including the
non-payment of conservation fees.
Greepeace's ship the
Rainbow Warrior also ran aground on the reef in 2005. About 1000 square feet of the reef was damaged for which the environmental organization paid a $7000
fine. A representative of the Philippine government said
it would seek compensation for the damage to the world-class reef from the United States.
Tubbahtaha National Marine Park is one of the world's largest marine ecosystems. It hosts some 600 species of fish, 360 species of coral as well as 14 species of dolphins and whales. Endangered sea birds and marine turtles use the North Atoll as breeding grounds. The park includes a spectacular 100m wall and covers 100,000 hectares of intact coral atoll reef with 90% of all coral species in the islands. Isolated in the middle of the Sulu Sea, UNESCO recognizes its unique ecological value as one of the Philippines oldest ecological systems to survive intact to the present day. The Philippines established it as that nation's first marine protected area in 1988, and it was named a World Heritage site in 1993. The park is under the management of the Philippines' Department of National Defense.
It is bad enough reefs are dying all over the world due to multiple human causes; the US Navy, whose environmental record is questionable, grounds one of its minesweepers on Tubbataha Reef National Park [photo]. Fortunately for the marine creatures living there, a Malaysian tug, Vos Apollo, was able to take the USS Guardian's fuel off without spilling it. However, the 68 meter ship remains grounded and its steel haul is pulverizing the delicate coral structures beneath it. Monsoon winds are making it difficult to float the ship and it is taking water. The ship is too damaged to tow off. Hundreds of meters of the once pristine reef have been flattened according to the WWF/Philipines. 7th Fleet Vice-Admiral Scott Swift apologized for the damage and said his agency takes environmental protection seriously. The usual post hoc investigation will look at digitized charts of the area which misplaced the location of Tubbataha Reef. WWF says additional measures should be taken to protect one of the jewels of the Coral Triangle. Sanctions that could be imposed for violating the Tubbataha Reef National Park Act including the non-payment of conservation fees. Greepeace's ship the Rainbow Warrior also ran aground on the reef in 2005. About 1000 square feet of the reef was damaged for which the environmental organization paid a $7000 fine. A representative of the Philippine government said it would seek compensation for the damage to the world-class reef from the United States.
Tubbahtaha National Marine Park is one of the world's largest marine ecosystems. It hosts some 600 species of fish, 360 species of coral as well as 14 species of dolphins and whales. Endangered sea birds and marine turtles use the North Atoll as breeding grounds. The park includes a spectacular 100m wall and covers 100,000 hectares of intact coral atoll reef with 90% of all coral species in the islands. Isolated in the middle of the Sulu Sea, UNESCO recognizes its unique ecological value as one of the Philippines oldest ecological systems to survive intact to the present day. The Philippines established it as that nation's first marine protected area in 1988, and it was named a World Heritage site in 1993. The park is under the management of the Philippines' Department of National Defense.