It can take 10,000 years for damaged corals to fully regrow, says Hontiveros

MANILA, Philippines – It could take more than 10,000 years before the corals damaged by a US Navy ship in the Tubbataha Reefs will regrow to its previous state, Akbayan Representative Risa Hontiveros said Thursday.

Hontiveros said during an interview over Radyo Inquirer 990AM that the hard corals that grow in the Tubbataha Reefs takes up to 10 years just to grow an inch.

The USS Guardian, a US Navy Minesweeper that has been stranded in the Unesco World Heritage Site since January 17, has destroyed an estimated 1,000 square meters of corals already.

Hontiveros called on the US Navy to compensate for the damages brought about by the grounding of their ship.

See video clip of Hontiveros interview