Could bombing benefit Vieques reefs?

[Juan Torres]

Although NAVY's restrictions to the bombing areas in Vieques could impede 
people to frequently fish or dive there, damage has already being performed 
by the continous bombings. These reefs have been under the attack of the 
NAVY's bombs for more than 40 years in the area. Also, NAVY's practices in 
Vieques are with live bombs. This aggravates the situation since it is well 
known the damage that these can cause to any marine ecosystem. It is not 
only the destruction of the reefs, but also all the life that accompanies 
it. The fact is that since it is a restricted area, scientists can't enter 
there to perform studies regarding the health of these ecosystems.
Best regards,
Juan L. Torres, MS
UPR-Dept. of Marine Sciences

>From: Doug Fenner <d.fenner at aims.gov.au>
>Reply-To: Doug Fenner <d.fenner at aims.gov.au>
>To: coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
>Subject: Could bombing benefit Vieques reefs?
>Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 09:17:52
>
>Regarding the petitions to stop the bombing of Vieques Is, Puerto Rico,
>
>    I seem to remember work some years ago reported in one of the
>International Coral Reef Symposiums that looked at the reefs of Vieques,
>and found that they were in better shape than the reefs of Puerto Rico.
>The bombing had done surprisingly little damage to the reefs, and it had
>kept people out of the area, so they hadn't destroyed the reefs as on
>Puerto Rico.
>
>    In Hawaii it has been said that the military are unwittingly one of the
>islands' biggest conservation agencies, since the islands are dotted with
>disused military bases where people cannot buy land and build resorts,
>etc.
>
>    Maybe it would be ideal to get the Navy to stop bombing and clean up
>everything, but leave the live ordinance lying around to keep people out.
>If you let people populate the Vieques as dense as the rest of Puerto Rico
>and don't have very effective controls of sediment runoff, fishing, etc,
>the reefs may be worse off than with the military there.  What will
>replace the military?  -Doug
>
>Douglas Fenner, Ph.D.
>Coral Biodiversity/Taxonomist
>Australian Institute of Marine Science
>PMB No 3
>Townsville MC
>Queensland 4810
>Australia
>phone 07 4753 4334
>e-mail: d.fenner at aims.gov.au
>web: http://www.aims.gov.au
>
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