Manila: A team contracted by the US government has finally completed salvage operations for the USS Guardian which ran aground in Tubataha, a wildlife protected area in the western Philippines.
Reports reaching Manila said the stern or the rear most portion of the 68-metre long mine countermeasures ship was lifted off early Saturday afternoon, completing the dismantling of the wooden-bottomed vessel.
Earlier, the Tubataha Reefs National Park (TRNP) reported that two sections of the USS Guardian, comprising the bow section and Auxiliary Machinery Room (AMR), were lifted off the reef on March 26 and 27.
“Earlier this month the Singaporean salvage team cleared and drilled the hull in preparation for chopping and lifting. As planned, it is being cut into four sections — the bow, the AMR, the Main Machinery Room (MMR), and the stern,” the TRNP said.
Following the successful lifting of the main sections of the mine countermeasures ship from the area, authorities said they are now focusing on the assessment and recovery phase of the damaged reef.
Earlier, Lieutenant Commander Armand Balilo was quoted in reports as saying the favourable weather had made it possible for salvors to complete the salvage operations on time.
The USS Guardian ran aground in Tubataha on January 17 due to navigational miscalculations. The incident damaged an estimated 1,000 square metres of coral reef, which is vital for sustaining marine life in the area.
Coral reefs in the Philippines, including the Tubbataha Reef, are some of the most important biodiversity centres in the world
According to the US Embassy, since the grounding of the USS Guardian on the Tubbataha Reef on January 17, a series of meetings between the Philippine Government and United States embassy officials have been held to discuss the incident.
In the meeting, the two governments agreed to cooperate during investigations of the grounding incident.
“With an emphasis on protecting the marine environment, preparations for the salvage of the USS Guardian began shortly after the grounding occurred and include the removal of 15,000 gallons of fuel and other potentially harmful material,” the joint statement released in the immediate aftermath of the incident, said
The Philippines has been receiving assistance since 2007, under the United States Agency of International Developments’ (USAID) Philippines Coral Triangle Support Partnership programme.
The US has contributed $7.2 million (Dh294 million) to protect coral reef ecosystems in the Philippines, including Tubbataha Reef. This includes a coral reef monitoring programme, training for local fisheries wardens, and assistance to municipalities for the development of fisheries management plans that protect traditional fishing grounds. The Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Conservation International are partners in many of these activities.
