Reef cut up
Publication: Daily Nation
Paper Section And Page: 3
Paper Date: Thu, Feb 1, 2001
Byline: by Terry Ally
ANOTHER vessel is being linked to the damage of one of Barbados' most
vibrant reefs. German tourists diving on Shark's Bank, just outside Carlisle
Bay, reported "massive" damage to the ecosystem by the
Denmark-registered cargo vessel CIC Light which is scheduled to leave
Barbados today.
The damage was not done by the anchor but by the chain, said Klaus
Schuhmacher, who has been vacationing in Barbados for four months each
winter for the last 16 years and diving for the last five years.
"The anchor was on the inner slope of the reef about 120 feet deep and
a really massive chain was running up and across the reef. When the ship
swings with the tide, the chain does a big triangular shape damage as it
swings from right to left," Schuhmacher told the daily Nation. "As
it swings, it cuts off everything. There is massive damage to corals,
sponges, everything. It looks like a disaster site. A good portion of that
reef is destroyed and will take many years to recover. I have never seen
anything like that before in my life," he added.
Owner of Dive Boat Safari, George Hurley, said Shark's Bank was a popular
dive site because the reef was colourful, lively and teeming with fish.
"The reef is scarred with anchor marks, and even though I understand
that this is an anchor zone, this is an unusual occurrence. Ships normally
anchor in the vicinity but I have never seen a ship anchor on the reef
before," Hurley said.
He was one of the people who participated in the installation of mooring
buoys, but he said they were not permitted to install one around Shark's
Bank because it was a designated shipping lane and Government had undertaken
to install one instead. That was three years ago.
Well-placed Government sources said the issue of whether Shark's Bank reef
was in an anchoring zone was the subject of previous intra-governmental
discussions, and there was an understanding that the reef was off-limits to
anchors. Shark's Bank is part of the outer reef system along the south-west
coast and is one of the first defences of the coastline against waves. The
water is usually very clear and full of fish, making it an ideal dive
tourism location and fishing area.
New legislation, which came into effect last year, provides for heavy
monetary penalties for damage to coral reefs.