Environment News

Stranded boat pollutes Bali surf break

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 18 July, 2008 : - - A fishing vessel swept onto rocks near Bali's most famous surf break is leaking oil and fuel, sparking fears it will hurt the local tourism industry. Police consider the Taiwanese vessel a crime scene, officials say, amid concerns of possible mutiny and murder.

The captain and the crew are missing. The Ho Tsai Fa No 18 has not been in radio contact since May and the vessel is suspected of involvement in illegal fishing. The ship was found stranded on Padang-Padang reef on Saturday and attempts to free it failed on Thursday. A large swell has since pushed the vessel onto rocks and surfers at the break say there's oil and fuel in the water and debris strewn on the reef.

The ship is out of the wave impact zone, allaying fears that it might break up. Police worked with a flotilla of local fishing boats but could not free the vessel on Thursday. On Friday the salvage operation appeared to have been abandoned. "Now the ship's going to stay there," said shipbuilder and tugboat coordinator Chris Moore.

"To salvage it now will be a major operation instead of a simple tug on the reef, which we were pushing for days ago when the swell was dead calm." He said it is unlikely the ship would break up in its current position, which should limit lasting environmental damage. Moore said R.O.L.E would assess damage to the reef and ocean ahead of a clean-up operation on Saturday.

The organisers of a Rip Curl Cup surfing contest, which had been due to begin at the break on Friday, have postponed the event until Monday. They said it might be moved to another break in Bali if the water was too dirty. "I feel a little bit sick, it's sort of gross," said surfer Tony Rose, from California. "I wasn't there long. I caught two waves and I'm over it."

Brisbane surfer Mick Fogarty, who runs a small hotel overlooking the next break along from Padang-Padang, said his guests were complaining about water pollution. "Guests from my bungalows went for a surf today at the Impossibles break outside my place, but cancelled and came back in complaining of the fumes, and the girl had oil on her skin," Fogarty said.

"It's not only affecting Padang-Padang, its affecting all the breaks along the Bukit, and could potentially prompt surfers and holiday-makers to cancel bookings in this area." Chief lifeguard at Padang-Padang beach, Wayan Somer, said there had been reports of an oil slick as far away as Uluwatu, at the end of the surfing peninsula. "This is not good." Somer said.

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Environment - Surfersvillage