Boat sunk off Fujairah coast to make artificial reef

A boat donated by a local marine shipping company was sunk off the coast in front of Fujairah International Marine Club to convert it into an artificial reef which will attract more small and rare fish.

Stripped of its engines, fuel tanks and material that could harm the environment, the vessel was sunk at a depth of around 30 metres.

"Artificial reefs boost diving. The new reef will help fish reproduce in a safe spot," said Ahmed Ibrahim Mohammed, Director of Fujairah International Marine Club.

Some 500 artificial reefs were placed four years ago off the East Coast near Dibba. Experts believe that the ship will become home to many species of fish within one or two months. It will also become a spectacular dive site.

Crew members said goodbye to their old ship before pumping sea water into the vessel. It took more than an hour for the ship to start sinking, Mohammed added.

As the emirate grows, tourism is increasing. Fujairah has many sites for professional and amateur divers where they can enjoy their hobby in a protected marine environment.

A representative of the marine shipping company which donated the boat said: "There comes a time when a vessel costs more in maintenance than it is worth. Some companies decide to scrap old their vessels, but we decided that if we could find a use for the vessel, that would be better than scrapping it."

The sunken ship, the largest of three vessels which have already been submerged off the East Coast, was towed to the location.

A ship sunk as an artificial reef two nautical miles off Dibba two years ago became home for several new fish like stingrays, moray eels, barracuda, hammour and black-tipped reef sharks.

Representatives from the Eastern Agricultural Zone and the Fishermen's Association in Khor Fakkan last year also supervised the sinking of an old boat to make it an artificial reef that would attract more fish and become a nursery of small rare species.

The steel-hulled ship,was cleaned and made environmentally safe before it was sunk off Ras Al Kalkali at a depth of around 20 metres.