By Nazario Rodriguez Jr.
Horizon news staff

Ngatpang Acting Governor Shallum Etpison has asked the support of President Remengesau for the enactment of a bill that would require certain vessels operating in Palau waters to utilize harbor pilots and tugboats in order to promote safe passage.
In his letter to the president on March 14, Etpison noted that there had been numerous ship grounding in recent years that have inflicted substantial damage to the environment in various areas in Palau, including the reefs of Ngatpang.
He said that most of these grounding happen while vessels are coming in or going out through the western channel which passes through Ngatpang.
Etpison said that in many of these caes, obtaining fair compensation for the irreparable damage has proven difficult, time-consuming and costly.
"Perhaps, in a sense Palau has been fortunate that we have not as yet experienced a more catastrophic grounding like those that have despoiled other environmentally sensitive areas of the world," Etpison wrote.
He said that while mandating the employment of pilots and tugs may not necessarily guarantee that such incidents will not recur, it certainly represents a prudent response to this growing problem.
"I recognize that there will be a cost involved in complying with these requirements that may be passed on to Palau consumers, but in actuality this may be viewed as a form of modestly-priced insurance against potentially disastrous occurrences that could adversely and permanently impact the livelihood of all Palauans," Etpison told the president.
A copy of the letter was provided by House Speaker Augustine Mesebeluu, who said he was disaapointed that the president did not sign the bill into law.
Mesebeluu said that there is a need to re-introduce HB No. 7-38-5S,SD3 into a new bill.