Untitled - CNR

Marine research at CNRthey last comparable times, and attract(or produce) not only fish, but divers too.j) Hiding toxic wastes: all the procedurefor scuttling is transparent, and supervisedby environmental and securityagencies; moreover, the regular divingactivity acts as a deterrent against criminaluses [54].Still, purposely sinking old boats has somedisadvantages, since the hull must be completelycleared from toxic oil and paints,electrical parts, heavy metals, asbestos, andso on; it must be secured also for divingsafety (doorways, metal spikes and sheets,etc.); in some instances, scraping could bemore convenient than a complete, state ofthe art clean up. With this in mind, a possiblealternative solution [23] is to buildboats specifically designed to be sunkenand fulfill both the pleasure expectanciesof the diving parties and the biologicalrequirements of an artificial barrier [20].The hull, built ex novo in a shipyard nearthe sinking ground, should be 35 50 mlong, and be refurbished in every significantstructure as a small cargo (propeller,portholes, cabins, antennas, etc.), but withoutpaint, engines, electrical cablage, insulationand so on. The proposed project,the deliberate sinking of decommissionedfishing vessels, is multi focused (Figure 7),being aimed at: i) the environmental protection,ii) an increase of resources for theartisanal fishery and iii) an eco compatibletouristic exploitation [55]. Other environmentfriendly innovative interventions,such as the “Exfol” (anti climax, self exfoliatingconcrete slabs, supposed to maintaina high diversity of the benthos) andthe “pseudo kelp” (ropes imitating plants,making a sort of submerged prairie) couldbe associated to the sunken vessels, to enhancetheir value as fish oasis [56] andtourist attraction. Another possibility to increasethe size of the artificial reef and toaugment the substrate diversity is to associatethe wrecks with sections of “classical”concrete barriers, and with other decommissionedstructures, such as old oilrings and platforms [57]. This effect willbe even greater if the sinking is integratedwith other interventions, such as the creationof artificial “atolls”, to establish a real“marine protected area” (MPA), where activities,both commercial and touristic, areregulated in a broader conservation strategy.In conclusion, common, already availabletechniques may be integrated to producea positive, synergic effect on the marineresources, on the environment and onthe touristic fruition of the coastal sea.1933