By Kisean Joseph
An environmental disaster is unfolding at one of Antigua and Barbuda’s marine reserve sites, as an abandoned yacht deteriorates on Cades Reef causing extensive damage to protected coral ecosystems, Tim Woodward, the founding director of the non-profit group Antigua and Barbuda Ocean Trust (ABOT) told Observer.
On September 26, the 40-foot catamaran Gi Gi ran aground on Cades Reef, prompting an immediate response from the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force Coast Guard and Antigua and Barbuda Search and Rescue (ABSAR).
Despite early intervention by yacht salvage operator Dr Nick Fuller to assess removal options, the situation took a turn for the worse when the American owner reportedly abandoned the vessel and left the island, leaving local organisations with escalating environmental damage costs.
Reports also indicate that the vessel was not insured.
According to Woodward, the boat has been slowly breaking apart and it continues to destroy the coral and the surrounding marine environment, having a huge impact on o the Cades Reef Marine Reserve. It sits in approximately three feet of water and the contents of the boat continue to be strewn across a large section of the reef.
“There was rubbish strewn all over the reef, causing huge damage to the Pirates Coral. The larger objects were just smashing generally the reef up, so quite a mess. Engines had come out of the boat, bits of debris like chains and anchors, and all sorts of clothing all over the reef,” Woodward said as he described the devastating scene.
In response to the crisis, local conservation groups and tour operators have mounted an impressive volunteer cleanup effort. Led by charter operators Simon and Amanda Anderson of the vessel Carried Away, alongside crews from Jabberwocky and the Antigua Scuba School, teams have successfully removed over 1,000 pounds of debris. This operation has involved thousands of dollars in expenses and hundreds of volunteer hours over eight weeks.
“We’ve had about five or six visits there,” said Woodward. “We’ve been out there most Sundays, going out, picking up all sort of litter off the reef. The debris field includes an array of items: wiring and piping, clothing, towels — all sorts of stuff that come from a boat that’s been lived on for quite a while.”
He said the vessel’s owner never submitted the incident report form as required by Antigua and Barbuda Office of Marine Services and Merchant Shipping (ADOMS), effectively paralysing government action. This occurred despite Antigua’s 2015 adoption of the Removal of Wrecks Directive which holds the owners of vessels responsible for removal costs when major harmful effects to the marine environment have occurred.
More alarming is that this is not an isolated incident. “This is just one of at least three wrecks that the government has allowed to be left to break apart on our reefs over the last year,” Woodward and other sources revealed, and they are advocating for stronger policies requiring first responders to secure incident reports from the owners of vessels, potentially allowing for their detention until funds are collected.
“The impact on tourism and local businesses is substantial. Cades Marine Reserve is an extraordinarily beautiful part of Antigua,” Woodward emphasised. “Tourists go there and it’s a real shame that this wreck is sitting right on top of Cades Reef for every tourist to see and that it wasn’t able to be salvaged or at least dragged off the reef in earlier times.”
