Philippine authorities fined the US Navy for unauthorized entry after an American minesweeper went aground on a World Heritage-listed coral reef.

Philippine authorities fined the US Navy for unauthorized entry after an American minesweeper went aground on a World Heritage-listed coral reef.

Manila announced the initial penalty amid growing anger in the Philippines over the January 17 stranding of the USS Guardian on the Tubbataha Reef, for which the US Navy has apologized.

A government-led board that manages the reef served formal notice Tuesday initially citing the US Navy for unauthorized entry, Jose Lorenzo Tan, a member of the board, told AFP.
The site is protected by Philippine law, and is off-limits to navigation except for research or tourism approved by the marine park superintendent.

The law prescribes a maximum penalty of up to a year in prison plus a fine of up to 300,000 pesos (about $7,300) for unauthorized entry, but Tan said the penalty agreed by the board does not include the jail option.
"We initially decided to fine them," said Tan, also the country president of the World Wildlife Fund. He declined to disclose the amount.

A board statement issued by Tan said the US Navy would also be fined for "non-payment of conservation fee" and "obstruction of law enforcement officer".