VP BELLS, OTHER OFFICIALS WORK TO MAKE NAVIGATION IN PALAU’S WATERS SAFER Island Times. June 20th, 2014. Vice President Antonio Bells and several other national and local officials are working on a project to make navigation in Palau’s water safer. Delegate Lee Otobed of Ngatpang State said that he and Delegate Marino Ngemaes of Aimeliik State recently asked the Division of Marin Law for help regarding the problem of many navigation aids at sea defective and missing. Many of the buoys are defective and some are missing as a result of the onslaught of SuperTyphoon Haiyan. “After knowing our request, the Vice President agreed to give his full support to the undertaking,” Otobed disclosed. The project is also supported by Governors Francesca Otong of Ngatpang and Leilani Reklai of Aimeliik. To jumpstart the project, Otobed, Ngemaes and other local officials from Aimeliik and Ngatpang went around by boat last to check on the buoys or markers around Palau. The buoys in Palau are concrete that mark the area that could be safely navigated. Accompanying the two lawmakers were Ngatpang Legislature Speaker Siles Ngirareming, Floor Leader Razi Ciboy Rimirch, Rebelkuul Felix Osilek, Aimeliik State Legislature Floor Leader Browny Simer and legislators Brikul Mamis and Olngellel Mongami, High Chief Rengulbai, High Chief Uchel of Medorm and observers Mike Techur and Erbai Demei Obak, and representatives of Gov. Reklai. During the trip 53 buoys were located, identified and marked in the channels of Ngatpang and Aimeliik. The group used the Global Positioning System (GPS) to accurately pinpoint the location of the navigational aids. The Ngatpang Delegate said that the work they undertook around Ngatpang and Aimeliik will serve as the pilot project. “The plan is to eventually involve all the states and waters of Palau. We need to make sure that the waters in and around Palau are safe for navigating or travel day and night,” he stated. Otobed said that addressing the problem is very important considering that many tourist boats and other vessels ply the waters in and around the island nation. VP Bells agreed with the assessment of Otobed and said that the damaged buoys will be repaired and those missing ones replaced. “We should think of the safety and welfare of the people,” he said. Palau’s waters are full of corals and shallow areas that could easily ground a ship if navigation aids are not in place or are defective. Last week, a Taiwanese fishing vessel ran aground in the Ngederrak Reef Conservation Area due to the captain’s unfamiliarity with the area. There were also previous grounding incidents involving fishing and other vessels owned by local and foreign companies. Otobed said that there could be more cases of ship grounding if the matter is not addressed. “If a boat full of tourists run aground, that could be bad for our tourist industry,” he pointed out. Tourism is the number one industry of this island nation.
Posted on: Mon, 23 Jun 2014 06:07:39 +0000
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