Tubbataha Management Approves USS Guardian Salvage Plan
The Tubbataha Protected Area Management Board and the Provincial Government of Palawan on Wednesday approved the proposed plan presented by the United States Navy on the salvaging operations of the distressed USS Guardian.
Commodore Enrico Efren Evangelista, Coast Guard Palawan District Commander and chief of Task Force Tubbataha, said the stakeholders agreed on the proposed salvaging plan which will dissect the grounded minesweeper into several portions before it will be finally be removed on the reef provided that there will be a joint ecological damage assessment as well as the joint post assessment.
Evangelista added that the Tubbataha Protected Area Management Board also requested the PCG to have two representatives as observers onboard the SMIT Borneo, the salvaging ship contacted by the US Navy, when the salvaging operations officially starts.
Another condition raised by the Management Board before finally agreeing to the plan is that if ever the salvour plans to use container barriers and nets, it should not be entangled to any marine specie since it can harm other marine life such as sea tortoise and other big species of fish.
Evangelista also guaranteed that there will be no harm of the reef once the SMIT Borneo drop its anchors since its 800-meters long and will not hit any corals.
“It will only touch the sandy bottom of the ocean floor”, Evangelista said.
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