Saturday, July 30, 2011

Poor visibility due to rust contributes to third diver death in BC since 2007

Human error, along with debris and rust from artificial reef all factors in summer diving death.
"...(T)he silt, mostly iodized iron, found within wrecks can easily be kicked up by divers"
Last week's tragedy was third since '07 at our artificial reefs for divers

Monday, July 18, 2011

Artificial reef projects raise environmental questions - The Washington Post

A recent article in the Washington Post looks at the potential environmental concerns surrounding the sinking of decommissioned ships for artificial reefs. Among the issues which scientists are studying is the impact of overfishing as anglers gather at artificial reef sites and the accumulation of toxic chemicals, including PCB's, in the bodies of fish who feed off the reef.

Artificial reef projects raise environmental questions - The Washington Post

Despite local opposition, province approves plan

Opposition to an artificial reef in Halkett Bay, Gambier Island BC includes the Islands Trust, a federation of independent local governments, including Bowen Island Municipality, which plans land use and regulates development in the trust area. Islands

In addition to their stated policy against reefs, the Trust expressed concern about a Department of Fisheries report which said that the proposed reef would disturb, not enhance, local fish populations and cited inaccuracies in the Artificial Reef Society of BC's information about the proposed sinking location. They also questioned the lack of public consultation on the project and whether the sinking could be successfully carried out as proposed by the ARSBC