Artificial Reefs Feasibility Study

Abstract

The Marine Institute commissioned this study to review the current status of artificial reefs world-wide with a view to determining the feasibility of the development of a sea angling initiative based on the deployment and exploitation of artificial reefs. The study, conducted by the Coastal Resources Centre, National University of Ireland, Cork, includes a review of the current status of artificial reefs globally with a focus on site selection, reef design, construction material and reef use. The Beara Tourism Development Association has expressed an interest in developing a sustainable sea angling initiative based on the construction of a series of artificial reef sites. In response to this interest, the Beara Peninsula was used as a case study area for the purpose of determining feasible artificial reef site locations. Consultations with relevant regulatory bodies, local tourism development groups and the sea angling sector in the Beara Peninsula were an essential element of this study. The use and benefits of artificial reefs have been widely accepted with both ongoing research and national development programmes in place in over forty countries worldwide. In Japan for example, national programmes have been in operation for over twenty years. The Japanese have been at the forefront of reef design, construction and deployment since their inception. However, little research has ever been undertaken on artificial reefs in Ireland, to date one application for the creation of an artificial reef has been submitted to the Department of the Marine & Natural Resources.