SEAFORD, UK (11 Nov 2007) — Proposals to sink an old warship in Seaford Bay to create an artificial reef were met with mixed views at a public meeting. The evening saw representatives from Marine South East and the South East England Development Agency speak about the plans, which are the idea of Seaford resident Anthony Fowler. Mr Fowler, who called the public meeting, was inspired by a similar scheme in Plymouth and feels it would boost tourism in the town. Councillor Jon Freeman opened the meeting and said £3,000 was needed for a scoping study (initial report) to look into the scheme. Jay Straith from the Canadian Artificial Reef Company, who has been involved with a number of similar projects, said, "People come from all over the world to dive these ships. This is very much the high end attraction for the tourism industry. "The artificial reef we sunk in British Columbia has gone very well. We have species that have been threatened that are now able to reach maturity on these ships because they are protected." He added then when the ships are reefed, local interest in diving has increased and in other areas has led to further jobs for people in the hotel and tourism industry. He said if the latest plans got the go-ahead it would be a huge marketing project not just for Seaford but the UK. Mike Leece, who was responsible for the HMS Scylla project in Plymouth, also welcomed the idea and said diver safety was paramount and there needed to be an accountable body in such a project. A spokesman from Marine South East said the organisation had offered £1,500 towards the scoping study if it was needed. A number of questions and comments were raised following the presentation, with Councillor Bob Brown stating it was important to promote the health and safety aspects of the project. One resident said they didn't feel the average citizen would get anything out of the project, asked how visitors would deal with parking in the town and mentioned the lack of hotels to deal with tourism. A Newhaven resident asked how the fishermen in Newhaven would be affected by the project and added, "I welcome anything to improve the finances of Newhaven and Seaford and the opportunities this project seems to be promoting. I'm concerned about the existing industry in Newhaven, particularly fishing and sport fishing." | | Sinking decommissioned warships as scuba diving attractions boosts tourism but the jury is still out on the impact of artificial reefs on marine ecosystems. One resident who runs an accommodation facility in Seaford said she was thrilled by the idea but asked the board if they could confirm if similar projects elsewhere had increased retail sales. Councillor Tracy Willis added, "I wear two hats – one is as a councillor and one is as a resident of Seaford. As a councillor I would have concerns about problems with roads, regarding the amount of people coming through. "We've already heard that we have had problems with traffic congestion and I feel if all parties pull together it's a problem we could overcome. "As a resident I would like to jump up and down in support of this project. "Seaford is a growing town with lots of younger families. "This isn't just about the diving community, I don't want to end up walking through a ghost town. "We're a fantastic town and I would like to see us grow and I fully support this project." Following the meeting Mr Fowler said, "I thought it was absolutely brilliant. "I think the majority of people were for it at the meeting and I think by the end, lots more people were on board. "There were certain comments made but because of the nature of what we're trying to do I think they will understand it later on. "We now need to raise money for the scoping study which is an important part of it." SOURCE - Eastbourne TodaySCUBA FORUMDISCUSS THIS TOPIC - Dive in and have your say at Scuba Forum |
