Preventing further damage to the reef and protecting the turtles
Recently, MSA responded to yet another environmental threat, this time on the island of Guam, USA.
A Japanese fiberglass long line fishing vessel, the Daiki Maru 7, departed Guam February 13th during high surf conditions. The departure led to disaster when the boat grounded on a fragile coral reef located 100 meters in front of a beach on Orote Peninsula. The beach, as fate would have it, is one of the few places on Guam where endangered Hawksbill turtles build nests and bury their eggs.
The high surf and sharp coral reef caused the vessel to break apart, which spilled fuel, and put kilometers of monofilament line, pieces of fiberglass, and boat contents into the fragile reef ecosystem. The vessel was pushed ashore by high seas until she was wedged against a large rock, still in the surf zone. All of these presented great hazards to the turtles, as nesting season usually begins the first week of March.
The Daiki Maru 7 not only grounded on a reef in a protected turtle breeding area, it was also on US Navy property. Because of this, the local authorities responded through a coordinated Incident Command System. Local contractors were hired to remove fuel and other contaminants. Once completed, it became the owner’s responsibility to remove the casualty. Before any action could be taken, however, the Incident Command Structure (ICS) had to approve the removal plan. The ICS was comprised of the US Navy (beach owner), US Coast Guard (vessel control), National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Association, (Turtle Control), US Fish and Wildlife Service, Guam EPA, and others that had to approve any activity on the reef. The goal of all was to prevent further damage to the reef, and protect the turtles. Any salvor would have to satisfy all agencies with its plan and performance. To complicate matters, the ICS might not approve the plan approved and contracted for by the owners.
Due to limited local resources and options, the Responsible Party (RP) responded favorably to our offer of a “Mammoet Solution”. However, the prompt response of the RP was the only item that was prompt during this project!
It took 4 weeks and the 9th proposed removal method to get both ICS approval and a contract from the owner.
The plan came together by using local resources in an unconventional manner to remove the wreck within the parameters set by the ICS. The orders were clear: No further damage to the reef was allowed, and turtle protection was priority #1.
As in any environmental salvage project, the Mammoet team had hurdles to overcome, These were to clean the reef to an acceptable standard, and dispose of the vessel by following strict procedures. These two items can be a real pitfall to Salvors.
Source and Image Credit: MAMMOET Salvage