Damaged Raja Ampat Coral Reef: Local Govt to Check Sailing Permit

TEMPO.CO, Manokwari - The West Papua provincial government will review the sailing permit of the British-owned cruise ship MV Caledonian Sky to enter into the waters of Raja Ampat, according to the local government spokesman Nataniel D. Mandacan.

"Any ship entering the territorial waters of West Papua should carry a permit, including if it entered into the Raja Ampat waters," Mandacan remarked on Friday.

According to Mandacan, ships sailing into any territorial waters are required to carry a license, including the Bahamma-flagged Caledonian Sky, which entered the waters of Raja Ampat and crashed many coral reefs on March 4, 2017.

The chairman of the drafting team of the conservation of West Papua noted that he will immediately urge the local Department of Transportation to check if the cruise ship has a sailing permit, including for its trip in the waters of Raja Ampat.

Mandacan said the Caledonian Sky should have taken the right route by taking into account the conditions and depth of the sea.

"The ship must pay for the damage and (the government should) review if it has violated other rules that should have been followed," he said.

He added that the Caledonian Sky, which ran aground in the waters of Raja Ampat and caused extensive damage to the coral reefs in the area, was a serious concern for the West Papua provincial government, and that the central government, through the relevant ministry, has taken steps to resolve the case.

Investigations are still ongoing and the investigators, along with Indonesias conservation team, will reassess the damage caused by the Caledonian Sky.

According to the local police chief, the initial inquiry revealed that the direct impact of the incident was the destruction of 1,600 square meters of coral reefs in the territorial waters of West Weigeo in Raja Ampat.

ANTARA