EPA: Extensive damage to Fuvahmulah Reef

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has revealed that the reef of GN. Fuvahmulah has suffered extensive damage due to the incident involving a cargo boat wrecking on the reef back in August 13.

Director-General of EPA, Ibrahim Naeem spoke to “Sun” this Monday night and said that the agency had completed assessing the damage from the cargo boat wrecking on the reef. But that the fine amount MV NGOC Sun needs to pay for the damage will be decided after discussions between the two parties.

“As we, EPA made a thorough assessment on the damage to the reef of Fuvahmulah, the Singaporean company involved in salvaging the boat also made an assessment on the reef.

That assessment, too, is complete,” said Naeem.

Naeem said that the EPA assessment would be released after discussion with relevant government authorities.

Vietnamese cargo boat MV NGOC Sun was carrying 5,700 tons of construction material needed to build the water and sewerage system in Fuvahmulah when it crashed on the island’s reef.

The boat was removed from the reef more than a month later, on September 15 by the Singaporean salvage company hired for the work.

Some of the construction material the cargo boat was carrying needed to be thrown overboard before it was removed.