THE HAGUE - Undersecretary for the Interior and Kingdom Relations Raymond Knops has answered written questions by Dutch MPs Diertens and De Groot of D66 about the report "Oil platform shatters coral reef on Curaçao".
Knops indicates that there has been contact with the government of Curaçao via the representation of the Netherlands in Curaçao about the investigation and its course. According to the undersecretary, no assistance has been requested from the Netherlands. According to the Curaçao minister of Health, Environment and Nature, an investigation is underway. Assistance by the Netherlands should be considered should the government of Curaçao submit a request.
“It is up to the Curaçao government to make the investigation public and, if necessary, to take legal action to recover the damage. The Curaçao Ministry of Health, Environment and Nature has indicated that they are investigating the cases and draw up a plan of action based on this. That investigation is still ongoing. The nature of the incidents differs. In 2017 there was damage due to anchor and cable towing. In 2019, the wind changed direction unexpectedly (which is very exceptional) causing the normally quiet south coast to become very rough and the platform to push hard and fast towards the coast. The platform then used the anchors as an emergency brake to avoid hitting the coast,” says Knops.
When asked about the progress of the restoration of the coral that was damaged in the incident in 2017 and the incident in 2019, Knops says: “Carmabi, the maritime research institute in Curaçao, has looked at the damage and made an assessment on it. Before that, I learned that the damage from 2017 is serious and the chance of recovery small. The tracks drawn make it difficult for the reef to grow back together. It is not impossible, but it will take decades for the "wounds" on the reef to close very slowly, and it is not certain. The damage from 2019 is virtually irreparable. The oil platform has destroyed a very large part of the reef, so that it can no longer grow together. The substrate is no longer suitable for the coral, because it cannot grow on that soil. Repair work is virtually impossible.”
Should the government of Curaçao submit a request for assistance in drawing up better regulations, Knops is willing to see if assistance can be provided.