Create fake reefs to help local fisheries
THERE have been a number of letters in the Guernsey Press inferring there is little that Guernsey can do to deter the UK government from allowing any other countries’ factory fishing-ships from raping the sea-beds around Guernsey.
May I suggest there is something we can quietly do which is an all-win for Guernsey and for visitors who come to fish from far-away countries.
Obtain old large, even slightly rusty, 40ft shipping containers; cut large holes all over them; weld shelves all over the inside walls of the container; put inside rare seaweed, lobsters, winkles and limpets, sand, various types of fish (the local fisherman would suggest types and may even supply the breeding fish). This is low cost and does not need any studies or consultants.
When complete, sink 400 containers in the sea at 400 locations all around Guernsey. Local line fisher-people could participate and help select the 400 locations.
The results are:
n Since the locations of the sunken containers are accurately known they form ideal locations for line-fishing. This would be great for local fishermen, plus after say three years, with excellent marketing, would bring in masses of fisher-people to visit Guernsey for line fishing above the containers.
n Breeding of baby fish will be enabled because the container is like a safe fish hotel.
n Unfortunately factory fishing ships from far away countries would arrive and their nets would be entangled in the containers.
This is low-cost, easy to do, needs no maintenance, and recovers Guernsey’s identity from the morass of government negotiations.
REX FERBRACHE,
Address withheld.