SUBIC Wreck Looting

[Xizang]

I just can't understand the short sightedness of it - from all I've read it seems like the Subic economy really took a hit in recent years, and this is one of it's most valuable attractions... if the wrecks are in a crappy state, - it's a shame to say but - I don't see any it competing with other destinations much...
So sad.

F UNit,
I don't want to sound cynical about this country but the truth about it is, its hard to teach long-term sustainable plans to a man with a hungry stomach. The root cause of most of the country's problem lies in too many people in a given area putting a lot of strain in the natural and unnatural resources, and how people in the lower socio-economic class concentrated in these areas multiply is a marvel that logic and reason fails to explain.

The only way I see for these wrecks to get protected is by an iron hand. A governement body or private entity that will say "NO, no one takes anything of the wreck. Get caught and face sever consequences". However before this could happen the powers that be need to appreciate and truly believe in the importance of preservation of the wrecks.

 

[F UNit]

Axua - no doubt about it - I read Development Studies at University, focused mostly within sustainable development in the developing world - the biggest hurdle will always be long term stability vs short term gains, that's just the way it is. I mean, unsustainable development will always have much larger pay-offs in a shorter time frame than the sustainable/less damaging route will.

But is it really the most desperate people who are damaging the wrecks of Subic? - I really reckon that this has got to be the work of someone with a bit of money, as from the sounds of it they are salvaging stuff that demands some serious equipment - they've gotta know that what they are doing is only working in their own interests.

I don't know if I've got the right idea of what's going on over there or not, since I'm just taking what I've read off SB, so I'm trying to just work it out from what I've read.

But I guess the real point is - how do you justify to the very poorest people that sustainable development and conservation/protective policies are needed, when there's always gonna be someone out to make a quick buck and totally abuse a common resource.

 

[grazie42]

Sorry to hear about this...I´m flying to Subic next Saturday, solely to dive wrecks, if the wrecks suck it will be my last trip there...

 

[Xizang]

But is it really the most desperate people who are damaging the wrecks of Subic? - I really reckon that this has got to be the work of someone with a bit of money, as from the sounds of it they are salvaging stuff that demands some serious equipment - they've gotta know that what they are doing is only working in their own interests.

For the one on the picture posted, I reckon its not people who have access to serious funds. If it were a big organized thing they wouldn't have just sawed of bits and pieces, they probably would have dismantled some of the canons. Its probably some locals who know a bit about scuba diving, probably working as a local boatman or shop hand in one of the dive shops.

However in other parts of the country there is a big organize thing really going on. They go to the coast guard and secure a permit to salvage boat wrecks playing around with the local maritime laws regarding shipping lane hazards. Most recently a group was able to secure a permit from the subic authorities (or was it the coast guard) to salvage the USS New York by declaring it as a shipping hazard. Everyone who has lived or worked in subic knows that large american carriers have been sailing in and out of the subic bay freeport zone without any problems for the last 15 years, how come all of a sudden a wreck lying there for the last 50 years becomes a shipping hazard? uummm maybe US$200,000 worth of steel made it a shipping hazard

 

[F UNit]

Cheers Axua - I see, then yeah I guess it's gonna be really hard to protect the wrecks if that's the case - as you said it's hard to sell a hungry man sustainability -especially when there's that much money just sitting at the bottom of a bay, with the only people who care about it a bunch of neoprene wearing weirdos!

The only solution I guess is education and real hard line protection from the powers that be...

 

[Xizang]

F Unit
its probably foreign divers like you guys who are able to help us in a way to protect the wrecks. As long as visitors come the dive shops and the dive professionals who frequent the area will have a reason to fight for the wrecks.

I have been encouraging many of the local divers to come and see the wrecks and also looking into working with a dive operator to come up with some more detailed information about the wrecks for publish and distribution. Kind of like a story on where it was made, where it sailed before, what did it carry, what did it do. I feel that when a diver knows a bit of history of the wrecks he dives it with a different perspective and appreciation (not just seeing a big piece of eerie ship in murky water).

 

[F UNit]

Very true - I think if you know a bit more details about a dive site - especially a wreck - you are invariably much more interested and passionate about it than if you were just there as an observer. Same goes for reefs, when you dive and are just a spectator thinking "Ooh nice fish" you're not as connected/passionate as you are when you can spot specific fish/relationships etc.

Do the dive shops over there do much work in increasing awareness/education about the wrecks at all? Is anything done to make people appreciate what they have at the bottom of their bay?

 

[Xizang]

Do the dive shops over there do much work in increasing awareness/education about the wrecks at all? Is anything done to make people appreciate what they have at the bottom of their bay?

I would think not very many do. Subic attracts technical wreck divers more than recreational divers and most often technical wreck divers are there for the physical challenge of penetration and/or mixed gas diving and probably a few are really interested in the history of the wrecks. And sadly the tech diving population is not that many.

The objective should be to take recreational divers to reasonable depths and swim through's in the wrecks and sort of take them in a museum experience..

 

[stvbrit]

On the contrary, recreational divers by far outnumber the techies who visit Subic, hands down. All of the regularly dived wrecks here in Subic Bay are well within the recreational envelope.

 

[pakman]

200k??? I'm bringing my hacksaw next trip... :joke:

In all seriousness, real sad to see this. Just got a recent newsletter from techasia. They had a recent trip to subic and they had some nice pics from inside the uss new york.

Btw is it confirmed fedex (federal express not kevin federline ) is definitely moving out of subic? That's gonna hurt the local economy. But did see the huge korean/ chinese shipyard they are building across from the port...