5.3 Recreational artificial reefs

5.3.1.Objectives

These artificial reefs are constructed to create adequate zones for recreational fishing and diving.
The main purposes of these artificial reefs are:

• to attract tourists in areas where natural rocky habitats are lacking; • to reduce the human pressure on natural, sensitive habitats;
• to reduce conflicts between professional and recreational fisheries in coastal zones.

5.3.2.Design and materials

 

There is a tendency to deploy shipwrecks to accommodate the needs of users (divers and recreational fishers). However, using vessels as diver attractants has some associated level of risk that should be carefully evaluated when choosing the vessel. High structure complexity and facility of penetration inside the wreck may increase the risk for divers. Moreover, it is important that the vessels are deployed correctly, in vertical position, and in such a way that their stability on the seabed is ensured. To create an artificial reef site that presents an ecological interest and is able to sustain recreational activities without using a vessel, the same approach should be applied as for production artificial reefs.

5.3.3.Siting

Recreational artificial reefs should be placed in areas that are easily accessible from the local harbours and/or from the beach, possibly in a sheltered position so that diving and recreational fishing are also possible in poor weather conditions. Variables such as water temperature, sea state, current velocity, depth, visibility, and distance from shore should all be taken into consideration since they affect diving conditions.

5.3.4.Practical applications

In the Mediterranean Sea, applications of this type of artificial reefs can be found in Albania, Cyprus, Israel, Malta and Turkey.
? Albania
The southern Albanian coastline hosts diverse and valuable marine habitats, which are threatened by rapidly increasing coastal development and tourism. A diving survey conducted in the last decade revealed that there was great potential for diving tourism in the Karaburuni peninsula. To protect the natural habitats from excessive pressure and improve the variety of diving opportunities, the immersion of a number of ex?naval vessels was forecasted within the Pilot Fishery Development Project (Government of Albania & World Bank, 2006). Five decommissioned Albanian Navy vessels were purposely sunk in 2010 in the Ksamil Bay with the support of the United States Navy ship Grapple (Plates 3 and 4).

Plates 3 and 4. Ship wrecks sunk as artificial reefs for diving in Ksamil Bay, Albania (courtesy of the Albanian Center for Marine Research and of TravelBlog, respectively).

? Turkey
The Bodrum peninsula (southern Aegean Sea) is one of the most important touristic and recreational diving areas in Turkey. It has more than 25 diving schools and attracts approximately 200 000 divers each year. Every diver usually dives twice to natural habitats in a daily diving trip. After the immersion, in 2007, of two old ships and one aircraft (Plates 5 and 6) as artificial reefs in the south of Karaada (south of the Bodrum peninsula), half of the 400 000 dives moved to these wrecks. Therefore, half of the diving pressure and stress on natural habitats were removed through artificial reef application.

Plates 5 and 6. A ship wreck and an aircraft sunked as artificial reefs in the South of Karaada, Turkey (courtesy of A. Lok).