In line with the continuous implementation of Coastal and Marine Ecosystems Management Program (CMEMP) pursuant to DENR Administrative Order 2016-26, focusing on the sustainable management of coral reefs, seagrass beds, and mangrove stands, the DENR-CENRO Catanauan divers conducted a rapid assessment on coral damage due to the ship grounding and run aground incident happened within the portion of the Locally Managed Fish Sanctuary, which is also a part of the protected area of Alibijaban Wilderness Area (AWA), in Brgy. Alibijaban, San Andres, Quezon on December 13-14, 2023.

According to the personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard substation in San Andres, Quezon during an interview regarding the ship grounding incident, a passenger vessel with ship name Starhorse − MV VDPF 1 was spotted grounded in the coast of Brgy. Alibijaban, San Andres, Quezon on November 14, 2023 at 4:15 PM. It was low tide at that moment and the poor weather condition impeded ship maneuvers to navigate in the direction of the port. Thus, together with the Bantay Dagat and community volunteers, passengers were able to get rescued out of the ship at 5:00PM. The ship was run aground at 7:00 PM during the high tide.

Since the incident happened in the Fish Sanctuary, it is conspicuous that when the vessel runs aground on coral reefs, there is a localized physical and ecological damage which can be severe or complex. Thus, DENR-CENRO Catanauan divers conducted an underwater survey following damage assessment procedures to determine the structural damage to the reef habitat and the compensatory damage to be given against those responsible for the grounding.

Based on the assessment, the grounding typically results in structural damage to the reef habitat as the portion of the coral framework is crushed and flattened by the hull, forming rubble that smothers the area.

Since there are no national legal steps for compensation for the damaged reefs, seeking assistance from the experts to help in estimating compensation for the damage should be considered to determine the compensation level for rehabilitating the damage and the required restoration activities and the estimated time to restore the baseline level. Relatively, legal and environmental implications, appropriate measures against those responsible for the grounding and subsequent damage as well as monitoring over a period of time to track the recovery of the affected site should be given consideration too.###

Details
Parent Category: News & Events
Category: Press Releases
Published: 12 January 2024