Create high quality marine environment – another project on transforming warships into reefs by Fisheries Administration.
In order to continuous construct high quality marine environment, at year 2002 the Fisheries Administration COA, EY cooperate with the chief commander of the navy again to transforming eight warships that are no longer serving the navy into warship reefs. The first warship reef of this year is Danyoung ship, it has already sunk down at 31st of October and place among the artificial fish reef areas in rock city at Ilan County. Since year 2000, after Wan-an ship, Linwin ship, and year 2001 the Uyeyoung ship, Chinyoung ship and Genhai ship, this warship is the 6th worship in the artificial reef fields in Taiwan.
Fisheries Administration indicates that the last five sunk and placed warship reefs has commission the Academic Departments and relative diving groups for further follow up investigation, and the result shows that it has become a new paradise for marine lives and present quite physical effects. Therefore, the navy head department is very trusted to hand over another eight un-serving warships to Fisheries Administration, and to let those un-serving warships able to lied quietly under the ocean that they spent all their life time with.
The Fisheries Administration explain further that the eight warship reefs, which are planned to make this year, four of them are destroyers (Donyoung ship, Tsaiyoung ship, Laiyoung ship, Hanyoung ship), two of them are cruisers (Wushuan ship, Geeyong ship), and for the last two, one is tank landing ship (Jonrong ship), and a rescue ship (Datong ship); adding with ships from last year, two are transport vessels (Wan-an ship, Linwin ship) and a small skiff mother ship (Genhai ship). With combination of all different purpose warships, among surrounding sea regions, now Taiwan is really protected by these warship reefs. Furthermore, these warships with great history of battle achievements will take off their war clothes one by one after 31st of October, and turned into working team of fish resources foster, to create a high quality marine environment for Taiwan with hope of long living.
Fisheries Administration point out that except few un-serving warships are kept for display in the past, most of them are tear down the useful parts by navies, and the rest are broken down into parts for auction. The only things that are left for people to look back are only few yellowed photos and some of history information. But since year 2000 and 2001, after the administration and the navy chief commander has successfully transform un-serving warships into reefs, those warships that are no longer serving for navies are lucky change its run way successfully, and contribute its own body to guard Taiwan in another way. The articles, which provided on the Fisheries Administration website, can prove its successful effects: ■ the attached young soft coral are beautifully growing all over the ship’s body. What more amazing is even inside the cabin are also full of lives, short small soft coral as thick as human arm, the colorfulness cause people addicted with it groups of 1.2 to 2.4 kg bigeye porgies, greater amberjack, common bluestripe snapper and more, all cover around the ship body, and around divers as well. There even have 1.5 to 3.6 kg grouper, eight grouper as a group, swim just one to two meters before your eyes. Under the ship there have larger cobias, and large groupers range from 6 to 18 kg lying on the sand ground. When diver swim near them and use torches light them three to four times then they will go away slowly by waving their tails.
Fisheries Administration said, the artificial reefs that constructed by government in last few years, improves the fishing field environment, fish resources and it gained good comments and affirmatives from all aspect of outsides. Using large size un-serving warships for reefs, not only provide varieties of marine life a place for habitat, reproduction, searching for food, migration and avoid harmed environments. It also provides fishermen economical and handy working field, other than the benefit of traditional artificial reef environment recreate and resources breeding, but also as another way of preserving historical war equipments for memorizing. Because of the recycle of warships, its low cost and large size also improves the defects of traditional concrete reefs in the past, such as sinking and buried. Meanwhile, after the warships made further processing and complete environmental measures, it can still keep its original outfits and place at coastline sea regions, which has great potential value for underwater adventures and tourism. Therefore, compare with traditional artificial concrete reefs, warship reefs has more dynamic use and benefits.
Lastly, Fisheries Administration emphasize that after placing the warship reefs, it is also a start of new artificial fishing field constructed by government. The administration also commission the academic departments proceed analysis of the benefits as a whole. Hope the local government can use but protect this new established artificial fishing field, to combine the local fisherman association and relative conservation organizations to establish a perfect management system to let the warship reef field to fully utilize its function and to help Taiwan region’s marine development. The administration also hope under the hard work of the fisheries administration and the cooperation from navies, there will be more warships in the future time, after over the serving period the ship body can create high quality marine environment at Taiwan. At same time, they also hope the success case can also create chain reaction, cause other relative departments or organizations to conserve the marine environment and work hard for continuous development. By use the transformation of nearby fishing industry development, to let all publics to be able to enjoy rich varieties of marine culture.