The damage caused by a British-owned cruise ship that accidentally ran aground on a pristine Indonesian coral reef could total more than $18 million, according to academics and environmental groups working in the region.
Researchers for Conservation International Indonesia (CII), Papua State University and the Regional Technical Implementing Unit (UPTD) found that the grounding of the 295-foot Caledonian Sky cruise ship — which weighs 4,200 tons and carried 102 passengers – caused massive damage to several endemic reefs that are unique to Raja Ampat, a remote and idyllic island chain west of Indonesia's Papua province.
“The types of reefs that were damaged by the ship are Genus Porites, Acropora, Poicilopora, Tubastrea, Montipora, Stylopora, Favia and Pavites. It will take decades to restore the reefs,” Ricardo Tapilatu, who headed the research, told the Jakarta Post.
Tapilatu added that the damage area stretched for more than 145,000-square-miles.
The Caledonian Sky, owned by British company Noble Caledonia, was finishing a bird-watching trip on Waigeo Island on March 4 when it veered slightly off course and slammed into the reef. An investigation into the incident found that the cruise ship allegedly entered the area without consulting local guides and that ship’s crew only relied on GPS navigation without considering the tide.
“The skipper forced the ship to enter the area, which was not open to cruise ships,” CII spokesman, Albert Nebore, said.
Noble Caledonia called the accident an "unfortunate" incident and added that the company is "firmly committed to protection of the environment" and fully backed an investigation, but made no mention of compensation.
The Caledonian Sky has since been refloated and an inspection revealed that "the hull was undamaged and remained intact,” the company said.
The ship itself "did not take on water, nor was any pollution reported as a result of the grounding,” Noble Caldeonia added.
Source : http://www.foxnews.com
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