This interesting story fell on our desks from Turks & Caicos Weekly news

Damaged coral reef restored – Gov’t awaits monetary compensation

MORE than 2,000 corals and other structures have been re-attached and artificial structures built off the coast of North West Point, while Government awaits compensatory settlement for the damages caused by MY Cloud yacht last year.

Just before her contract ended on August 15, Kathleen Wood, former Director of the Environment and Marine Affairs (DEMA) told the Weekly News that the restoration process is completed.

“We (Government) are still in the process of negotiating a settlement, but I can advise that the restoration work has all been completed now and every single piece of coral that has been rescued has been reattached down there.”

She added that they were able to rescue and re-attached about 2,000 corals and other structures.

The yacht’s insurers shouldered the cost of the repair work.

Wood said that the total cost for the restoration was about half a million dollars.

However, she would not say how much in compensation the TCI Government is seeking, as negotiations are still ongoing.

“With the extensive damage that was realised during that accident you can’t just glue the pieces back on to the reef, it would not be same; it’s not going to carry out the same biological function that it did prior to the accident,” Wood said; hence the settlement.

On April 1 last year, the MY Cloud dropped a 220-foot anchor in water just off the coast of Providenciales, dragging it through the reef and causing significant damage.

The vessel’s captain, Benjamin Cameron and engineer David Brown were subsequently charged and appeared in court.

The Crown later dropped Brown’s charges.

Benjamin was charged with anchoring a vessel greater than 60 feet in length outside an approved anchoring zone in the Northwest Point Marine National Park and three charges associated with causing anchor damage to coral reef structures.

During the trial, witnesses testified that the captain disregarded warnings that his vessel was wrongly anchored.

The court found that Benjamin’s claim of engine problems may not completely true and that the vessel did not have an anchorage permit as previously he claimed.

He was later fined $30,000 or 90 days in jail. (DI).

For more on this story go to: http://tcweeklynews.com/damaged-coral-reef-restored-govt-awaits-monetary-compensation-p5394-127.htm

IMAGE: http://www.northwestpointresort.com/the-island