REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA – Director General of Marine Management in the Marine and Fisheries Ministry Bramantyo said the coral reef damage in Raja Ampat was entirely the fault of the British cruise ship. The government would also evaluate portmaster as the authority who give permission to the ship.

Bram said the cruise ship did not consider the depth and sea tide when maneuvering. Even when about to sink, the ship’s crew should be able to consider a rescue mechanism and calculation so the ecosystem in the sea would not damaged by the wreck of the ship. “Firstly, did not they see the sounder? Secondly, the cruise ship lied on the inappropriate topography. This might cause damages from the cruise ship movement,” he said in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Bram added that the cruise ship passed through a protected area which was not allowed for big cruise ship. The ship with above 4,000 GT of weight would potentially be crashed and damaged the ecosystem at the sea.

He said the ministry would evaluate the permit from the ministry of transportation. port master had the authority to give permission and to monitor the cruise ship movement.  “We need to coordinate with the ministry of transportation about this. Where is the coordinate point, who are responsible in giving the permission,” said Bram.

Also read: British Ambassador to be summoned over Papua coral reef destruction

However, Bram was reluctant to blame portmaster as the most responsible party. The cruise ship captain was responsible for his negligence, because he did not carefully calculate the harbor spot.

Recently, the ministry of environment and forestry cooperated with the national police would invite the cruise ship captain and its owner to be examined. According to Bram, the cruise ship had violated two kinds of law. Firstly, it violated the Law Number 32 in 2009 on the Protection and Management of Under the Sea. The British cruise ship also violated the minister of marine and fisheries regulation No. 7 in 2014 on the Conservation area. “The regulation talked about the standard criteria of coral reef damage,” he said.

Previously, a British cruise ship Caledonian Sky crashed coral reef in Raja Ampat. It was one of the most beautiful coral reef areas in the world. The incident was happened on March 4, 2017. The cruise ship brought 102 passangers who did a bird watching. A total of 1.600 square meters of coral reef damaged on the incident.

Ikuti Whatsapp Channel Republika