I’m going to come right out and say it. It disgusts me that after almost 2 decades of operating commercially in these islands, the dozens of local and foreign flag charter boats have failed to band together and sorted out some kind of mooring system. On average, each charter boat anchors 3 times a day. Every time they put down their anchor, they are smashing up live reef (see photo attached).
Its not like our reef has enough to deal with. What with potassium cyanide being used by local fisherman with compressors. Or the occasional dynamite fisherman that are ignored by the (suspiciously complicit) Mentawai authorities. Global warming, coral bleaching? What about oily bilge water, plastic rubbish, surfers walking all over the reef? Hell, might as well throw your anchors down cause there’s not much left anyway!
The only thing the charter boats ever managed to come together on was banding together in an “us vs. them” associations in one of the biggest portrayals of human greed that I’ve ever been privy to. Battling each other legally for control of the waters, whilst they go out and drop anchors on more reefs.
If you’re as disgusted as I am, please choose your favorite charter boat and either write them a letter directly, or contact their agent and ask why aren’t the charter boats able to sink down moorings instead of anchors everyday?
Makes me embarrased to be a human being.
