[Coral-List] Ship grounded on Rotuma Reef

[Eric Grossman]

Aloha,
For those interested in ship-grounding impacts to coral reefs and 
folks interested in responding, please email:

    Bruce Richmond <brichmond at usgs.gov>

Another bad day for coral reefs.
Eric Grossman


----------------------------------------------
 From the Rotuma web site hosted in Hawaii ( http://www.rotuma.net/):


 From <http://www.fijilive.com>Fijilive (15 June 2006)

Bulou Ni Ceva Reported Stuck on Reef

Passenger vessel MV Bulou Ni Ceva is reported to have run on a reef 
near Rotuma yesterday afternoon.

Police confirm that the vessel was about to anchor when it was swept 
away by strong currents and winds to a reef.

The passengers and the crew were rescued and are taking shelter at 
Lopta Village.
__________

16 June: the passengers and the crew of vessel MV Bulou Ni Ceva are 
still stranded at Lopta Village after the inter-island ship run on a 
reef near Rotuma on Wednesday afternoon.

The captain is still awaiting the arrival of some parts from Suva to 
repair the vessel and sail back to the capital.

Police confirm that the vessel was about to anchor when it was swept 
away by strong currents and winds to a reef.
_____________

17 June: Owners of a ship that ran aground on a reef near Rotuma hope 
to dispatch a team to the island to assess whether the vessel can be salvaged.

The team is expected to leave this weekend in a chartered airplane to 
assess the damage sustained by the Bulou ni Ceva.

Kadavu Provincial Council chairman Ratu Josateki Nawalowalo said the 
team would include officers from the Fiji Islands Maritime Services 
Authority, Kadavu Shipping directors and their insurance brokers to 
access the damage.

"We are trying to ask the Transport ministry to help us on the issue 
and we have been negotiating for a plane to be chartered to Rotuma 
and expect to leave on Saturday or Monday," he said.

He said the ship's 30-member crew were being sheltered at one of the 
villages on Rotuma and were being looked after by the people of that village.
______________

20 June: "The information we got is that the ship is hard aground on 
a reef. That means to salvage her would be quite a job," Ratu Josateki said.

"We hope by the end of this week to either salvage the ship or to 
bring the crew to Suva."

Ministry of Transport chief executive officer Vuetasau Buatoka said 
the ministry was unable to help salvage the ship as there was no 
barge available.

Note:

As of Wed June 28th the ship is still on the reef and damage has not 
been assessed by shipping or Fiji government officials because of 
delays in air flights to Rotuma.  The threat that the ship poses to 
the healthy reefs of Rotuma is unknown at this time.



/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Bruce Richmond
U.S. Geological Survey,  Pacific Science Center
400 Natural Bridges Drive
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Phone: (831) 427-4731
Fax: (831) 427-4748

"The contents of this message are mine personally and do not reflect 
any position of the U.S. Government"




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eric E. Grossman, PhD
Research Geologist, U.S. Geological Survey
Western Coastal and Marine Geology Program
Pacific Science Center
400 Natural Bridges Dr.
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Phone: 831-427-4725
Fax: 831-427-4748
email: egrossman at usgs.gov
http://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2005/01/fieldwork3.html
http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/research/projects/puget_coastalhab.html
http://geology.usgs.gov/connections/bia/ls-puget_sound.htm
http://coralreefs.wr.usgs.gov/