Letter of opposition to sinking of ship in BC

Georgia Strait Alliance letter of opposition to the creation of an artificial reef in British Columbia.

There is no scientific agreement that artificial reef construction is beneficial to the marine environment, and indeed, there is much scientific opinion that it can actually be harmful - particularly when reefs are made from "materials of convenience" (eg. old warships) rather than being designed for the specific location and for enhancement of specific species considering factors such as the number of chambers, chamber size, optimum reef size, design, substrate, depth vs. distance offshore, spatial arrangement or configuration and materials, etc. Artificial reefs made of old ships and other cast-off materials are unnecessary and may even harm the environment by replacing existing natural habitats with less effective artificial ones. At the very least, we are altering marine habitat by sinking ships.

Another interesting point

The steel hull and aluminum superstructure of these ships corrode quickly underwater, making the ship a potential hazard. A diver who explored the Chaudiere 16 months after its sinking confirmed that pieces of the ship broke away in his hands and jagged edges were exposed

Read the entire letter here:
http://www.georgiastrait.org/?q=node/603