Patrol boat proposed for scuttling off Gozo

Wrecks, it has been established, make wonderful attractions for divers, but there were instances in the 1990s when owners got rid of seafaring vessels they did not want by offering them to the diving industry to scuttle them – that way of disposing of their unwanted craft was a way of circumventing regulations on waste disposal.

It is some time since the stratagem has been resorted to – all of the vessels scuttled since 2006 have been purchased (albeit at a highly discounted price) for that purpose, and all applications have followed strict conditions set by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority.

This emerges from a Project Description Statement (PDS) commissioned by the Professional Diving Schools Association (PDSA), to support its planning application for the scuttling of a patrol boat onto the seabed off the north coast of Gozo, in the area west of Reqqa Point and north of Billinghurst’s Cave.

MEPA’s Environment Protection Directorate had earlier on expressed concern about the “indiscriminate approach” regarding the scuttling of vessels, describing it “as an easy, out of sight solution for disposal of unwanted vessels rather than decommissioning of individual components”.

The three existing dive wrecks in Gozo are all at Ix-Xatt l-Ahmar, on the south coast.  But when the wind blows strongly from the south or east, these sites become unavailable for use. A diving wreck on the north coast would give divers an alternative location in these meteorological conditions.

There are 11 dive wrecks, some of which were familiar names with most everyone, that have been purposely scuttled for diving off the coast of the Maltese Islands: the mv Rozi and P29 at Cirkewwa; P31 at Comino; Um El Faroud off Zurrieq; Imperial Eagle off Qawra Point; mv Xlendi, mv Cominoland and mv Karwela at ix-Xatt l-Ahmar, Gozo; tug boats No 10 and the St Michael off Zonqor Point, Marsaskala; and tug boat Tug 2 off Exiles, Sliema. 

Other genuine wrecks which went down to the deep during the second world war and are used as diving sites include the HMS Stubborn off Is-Sikka l-Bajda; HMS Maori in Grand Harbour; the ss Margit in Kalkara Bay; Le Polynesien, the St Angelo minesweeper; HMS Hellespont and the Schnelle Boote (Eboat) outside Grand Harbour; HMS Southwold off Zonqor Point, Marsaskala, a Blenheim Bomber off Il-Hofriet in Marsaxlokk; a Bristol Beaufighter off Merkanti Reef; Scot Craig off Anchor Bay; an X127 Water Lighter at Manoel Island; and a British aircraft (Mosquito) off Delimara.

“Wrecks, whether historic or purposely scuttled, contribute in no small way to the diving tourism product of the Maltese Islands,” the report argues. 

The scuttling of wrecks and the construction of artificial reefs have been shown to attract fish life and, “as long as the fish are not molested by fishermen and spear hunters”, enhance the value of these dive sites. 

“This would help to counteract the current negative situation at several dive sites that have a serious lack of fish”.

The patrol boat now proposed for scuttling would not find its resting place on Posidonia oceanica meadows. but on a sandy area.

The location of the scheme site near a submarine cave is not expected to affect the cave or other reefs.

Likewise, while the placement on the sandy seabed would bury the patch of sand in question, the footprint of the vessel is so small that this impact is not expected to be significant. The site is a marine protection area. One of the concerns identified in the report is that wrecks tend to attract spear fishermen. The report recommends banning fishing around these sites.