Artificial Reefs Around The U.k.

[Yakity - Yak - u.k.]

Hi All.

 

I have spoken about this subject several times on here.

With the right help and backing, I wonder if we could get some Artuificial Reefs down around our coast ??

Does anyone know of any that have been placed in our waters that are being monitered as we speak ??

 

Wonder who you would approach to start the ball rolling ??

Need to find out more.

 

Any ideas?

 

 

YY:)

[Yakity - Yak - u.k.]

Just found this lot.......

 

http://www.artificialreefs.org/

[Yaskalos]

Hi YY

 

A year or so ago, they sunk an old Navy frigate HMS Scylla in Whitsand Bay, just outside of Plymouth, with a view to creating an artificial reef. Apparently it has been a huge success even in such a short time attracting allsorts of marine life. On the downside, if there is one, it is for divers only and there is a strict 'no-fishing' area all around it.

 

http://www.national-aquarium.co.uk/scylla/story.asp

 

This web site has allsorts about this artificial reef and even 'how to build one'!

 

I think also they have an underwater cam which you can view.

 

Nick

[terry1956]

Hi bill I remember watching something on tv a few years back re Artificial reefs, I think I am right in saying that the warship sank off plymouth was one of the 1st of many, I must say that I have seen know further action on this, maybe they should get all the fishing boats and place them together and sink them to repair the damage they have done. Of course no payment should be made, just sink their boats with the crews in the nets. Maybe and its a BIG maybe we will start to see a return to fishing and fish stocks I remember as a lad fishing with my dad. Mine you I was a rubbish fisherman then to terry

[geffaz]

if us anglers could push this through! with publicity i think it would be a great weapon in ar arsenal against the antis!

[Yakity - Yak - u.k.]

Hiya Nick, Terry , Geffaz.

 

Yes I remember the Scylla being scuttled, saw it on the telly.

She has become a real haven for marine life and a holding ground for fish too.

I expect a few of us here know of areas that the Scallopers have flattened with thier gear.

Smashing the small reefs to pieces and removing more and more fish holding grounds, and having a devestating affect on other marine life too

Would be nice to think that these areas could be reinstated with a little help.

 

 

Nick, nice link mate, will be looking through that one

 

YY

[SpeciMan]

The National Marine Aquarium at Plymouth (worth a visit) spent £200,000 to buy a decomissioned ship at auction and was sunk to provide an haven for marine life. Could be the same craft mentioned on this thread.

 

In my part of the world, Boscombe a town near Bournemouth is finally getting an artificial surf reef (constructed from tyres or sandbags I think). Should bring a lot of business to the area; the shoreline near the reef is being redeveloped. I'm hoping that the reef will attract a lot of marine life and hope to fish over it with my yak on calmer days when the surfs not up.

[Simon Everett]

Specimen - the tyre reef is not new either. It is to Boscombe, but they put one down off Slapton Sands in the 1970s. I think it was a trial. There are plenty of tanks (Shermans) and a landing craft and other casualties of the DDay landing practises - the monument half way along is to commemorate the losses suffered there - considerable considering it was an exercise. There was one particular tragedy, but I would have to ask Mum to remind first. She remembers it as someone who was there at the time - well nearby.

 

Whitsadn Bay now has two wrecks - Scylla and another not far away which was a ship being towed in that sank before she could be beached. The area around her was TOTALLY DEAD for years and years. I dived on her and the only life on her - no weed, no sea anemones, no fish , nothing. There were barnacles, but only in the splash zone on her standing mast (in those days it was still above water even at high water. I used to make fast to it!) The seabed around was literred with the corpses of everything and anything for about 250 yards in every direction. It transpired that she was carrying clock guages with luminous dials - the luminous effect being achieved by use of an isotope. I remember my physics master telling us his watch was more radioative (luminous dial) than the isotopes we were to measure with the geiger counter! It was true, his watch sent the thing wild. Imagine those clocks in the cargo hold were pretty radio active, certainly enough to poison the sea around. Now the Navy have cleared the hold and she is full of life.

 

Other artificial reefshave been built here and there from rocks - built up in a line like a sunken breakwater - Sandbanks beach has a coule that act as both groynes and breakwaters. They are a good spot too.

 

I don't know what hoops you have to jump through to put down an artificial reef - provided it doesn't create a hazard to navigation. In deep water there is no need to bouy it. Most wrecks are unmarked if there is a good depth of water obver them they are just marked on the chart but not bouyed, only those in an actual channel and that restrict the draft are buoyed.

 

I would thnk the Wildlife Trust would be a good starting point for suggesting creating an artificial reef. Devon Wildlife Trust for you Bill. Then the Marine Conservation Society as the next step. If they don't deal with it, I expect a concerted effort (plenty of nagging) will get them to find out who is the right body to contact. They will fob you off at first because they are not doing the project.

 

A very good idea - along the lines of wildfowl clubs for shooting - they buy marshes and put them back to proper marsh order for the benefit of all wildlife and get a bit of shooting for their efforts. Good idea Bill. Fishermen creating habitat to encourage marine life so they can get a bit of fishing......! Great PR.