A successful outcome !

When it was proposed to sink an old warship off the central coast of New South Wales to create a " dive wreck " , a whole bunch of vocal opponents crawled out of the woodwork.  Rallies were held and impassioned speeches made.   Petitions were signed and the sinking process was seriously delayed, costing the Australian taxpayer several million dollars.   Eventually, HMAS Adelaide was towed into position, scuttling charges fired and this old warship settled successfully onto the seabed.

Located just 1500 metres offshore from Avoca Beach and at a depth of thirty-two metres, the ship gets regular visits from the diving fraternity.  It is a popular place to visit and this is reflected in the tourist activities which bring financial health to the local business community.     It is noticeable that those who so bitterly opposed the creation of a diving wreck are conspicuous in their silence now !

Unfortunately, this very success has created a new problem.   It has long been known that artificial reefs and wrecked ships attract fish and in the short time it has been on the seabed, HMAS Adelaide has created a marine world containing huge numbers of fish - and many of these are prized varieties such as Kingfish, Snapper and Yellowtail.

As a designated " Dive Wreck ", this site is closed to all forms of fishing.  It is an offence to drop a line within two hundred metres of the wreck, or even to be in that area in a boat containing fishing tackle.   Such an offence delivers a $ 500 on the spot fine, and there is a lit warning buoy with a sign over the ship.

It seems that the known presence of so many fish is a huge attraction to many people who break the law and fish illegally.   Obviously, lines containing hooks are a huge danger to those diving on the wreck and the water police have been tasked with ensuring that this law is obeyed.   Night diving is a common practice, hence there is an even greater danger if the area is fished under the cover of darkness.

It will be interesting to see if a wave of protest erupts the next time one of our warships reaches the end of it's service life and pressure grows to create another dive wreck venture.    There is already pressure from the fishing fraternity to use old motor tyres to create artificial reefs to attract fish - and to serve the needs of fisher people - and exclude divers.

In the event of the Adelaide dive wreck, it seems that only one outcome is possible, and as that is for recreational diving - those wishing to fish must be excluded.