A Cruise Ship Smashed Into One Of Indonesia's Most Diverse Coral Reefs

A cruise ship smashed into one of Papua's most valuable coral reefs last weekend. The Cledonian Sky sank after it ran aground onto coral reefs in Raja Ampat, Papua. The area is home to some of most diverse marine life in the world.

The ship arrived to Indonesia with 181 passengers consisting of 102 tourists and 79 crew on a trip to take in the rich local biodiversity around Raja Ampat. But as it was leaving, the ship ran into on coral reefs around Manswar Island, destroying the very diversity they were trying to savor.

A written statement by the Coordinating Ministry of Maritime Affairs said that a tugboat called TB Audreyrob Tanjung Priok tried to pull the ship of the coral, but was unable to do so. The captain tried to get out of the reef area and finally sailed out that evening, but not before destroying 1,600 square meters of coral.

The Indonesian government is preparing a team of attorneys to file a lawsuit against the Noble Caledonia Company to recover damages. The decision to file a lawsuit was agreed by various ministries and agencies.

Deputy Minister of Maritime Sovereignty Arif Havas Oegroseno stressed that the government is  "prepared to take any means necessary so the people do not suffer, we need to fix the damaged corals as soon as possible," he said after a meeting early this week.

According to official release by Kementrian Koordinator Kemaritiman, the accident happened because the captain navigated by GPS and radar without taking the tides into account.

The Minister of Marine and Fisheries declared the island and area around Raja Ampat a national conservation zone. As a result of Raja Ampat's conservation status as a center for marine biodiversity, the government team recommended Noble Caledonia to pay as much as $800-$1,200 per meter square in compensation, this could bring the total compensation to $1.2 million.

The number might be deemed too small considering the time it would take to rehabilitate the coral, which only grow a few centimeters a year. Not to mention the damage caused to locals and investors who rely on Raja Ampat's reefs for their livelihoods.

One of the operators of a local homestay in Raja Ampat posted their reaction. "Today at around 12:30 local time, the captain of the Caledonian Sky ran his ship aground on the reef off Kri. How can this happen? Was a 12 year old at the wheel? Anchor damage from ships like these is bad enough, but actually grounding a ship on a reef takes it to a whole new level."

In a written statement Noble Caledonia says they are willing to cooperate with the Indonesian government and coral experts to determine a realistic and fair compensation for the damage done by the Caledonian Sky.

"We are working with local experts to understand how we can assist with the regeneration of the reef. We value our relationships around the world with local people and we are sorry to have impacted the local community. To this end Noble Caledonia has established a fund with the aim of helping the local population and contributing to the repair of the reef. We would like to send our own expedition teams to help with the regeneration."