davestocker
Well-known member
I posted on FM a thought about disposing waste in the sea to create fish-friendly artificial reefs. I've just received DEFRA's response. I'm a bit taken aback that they approved sinking a ship for the enjoyment of divers, and that 'there is little current evidence to suggest that they promote any increase in overall fish populations'. Anyone know of research to the contrary?
ARTIFICIAL REEFS MADE FROM WASTE
Thank you for your email of 21 June to David Miliband regarding the creation of artificial reefs using waste. I have been asked to reply.
Sustainable waste management is a very important issue for Defra, therefore we welcome all suggestions for improvements in this area. In terms of the creation of artificial reef from waste, international conventions that cover sea disposal and protection of the marine environment are clear that any form of structure built at sea must not be an excuse to dispose of waste materials.
The placement of old vehicles etc in UK waters would require a licence from the appropriate licensing authority (the Marine and Fisheries Agency for English and Welsh waters) under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 (FEPA) as they would involve a deposit of material in the sea. Such a licence could only be issued if it was demonstrated that there were clear benefits from the establishment of the reef which would outweigh any risk to the marine environment or human health, or interference to other users of the sea, and that there would be no adverse effects on adjacent areas of the coastline.
We have been aware for some years of developments in the use of structures as artificial reefs for conservation purposes. At present the evidence that the sinking of abandoned vehicles as artificial reefs have an influence on the number of fish in a particular stock is inconclusive. Although artificial reefs do attract fish by providing shelter, there is little current evidence to suggest that they promote any increase in overall fish populations.
A licence was issued in 2003 for the deposit of a redundant naval vessel HMS Scylla which was placed on the sea bed in Whitsand Bay. Its purpose however, was to provide a facility for divers and not to conserve fish stocks. The conditions to this licence include the requirement to clean the vessel by removing pollutants, and monitor the colonisation of the vessel on the seabed. We would not be able to licence any further proposals of a similar nature at least until some clear results are available from the monitoring programme.
Defra will continue to research into ways we can improve our management of waste, however, it should be noted that our continual focus will be on reducing waste at source. We recently published our Waste Strategy for England 2007, which emphasises the need to make waste prevention and reuse a central activity in all of our lives.
Further information on this Strategy and the polices and targets in sets can be found on the Defra website at:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/index.htm
Yours sincerely
Sophie Freeman
Defra - Customer Contact Unit
ARTIFICIAL REEFS MADE FROM WASTE
Thank you for your email of 21 June to David Miliband regarding the creation of artificial reefs using waste. I have been asked to reply.
Sustainable waste management is a very important issue for Defra, therefore we welcome all suggestions for improvements in this area. In terms of the creation of artificial reef from waste, international conventions that cover sea disposal and protection of the marine environment are clear that any form of structure built at sea must not be an excuse to dispose of waste materials.
The placement of old vehicles etc in UK waters would require a licence from the appropriate licensing authority (the Marine and Fisheries Agency for English and Welsh waters) under the Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 (FEPA) as they would involve a deposit of material in the sea. Such a licence could only be issued if it was demonstrated that there were clear benefits from the establishment of the reef which would outweigh any risk to the marine environment or human health, or interference to other users of the sea, and that there would be no adverse effects on adjacent areas of the coastline.
We have been aware for some years of developments in the use of structures as artificial reefs for conservation purposes. At present the evidence that the sinking of abandoned vehicles as artificial reefs have an influence on the number of fish in a particular stock is inconclusive. Although artificial reefs do attract fish by providing shelter, there is little current evidence to suggest that they promote any increase in overall fish populations.
A licence was issued in 2003 for the deposit of a redundant naval vessel HMS Scylla which was placed on the sea bed in Whitsand Bay. Its purpose however, was to provide a facility for divers and not to conserve fish stocks. The conditions to this licence include the requirement to clean the vessel by removing pollutants, and monitor the colonisation of the vessel on the seabed. We would not be able to licence any further proposals of a similar nature at least until some clear results are available from the monitoring programme.
Defra will continue to research into ways we can improve our management of waste, however, it should be noted that our continual focus will be on reducing waste at source. We recently published our Waste Strategy for England 2007, which emphasises the need to make waste prevention and reuse a central activity in all of our lives.
Further information on this Strategy and the polices and targets in sets can be found on the Defra website at:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/index.htm
Yours sincerely
Sophie Freeman
Defra - Customer Contact Unit