The document discusses an artificial reef project in Tyre, Lebanon. The project aims to promote sustainable development in fisheries and tourism by establishing a marine protected area and artificial reef. It outlines the background of conflicts over marine resources that motivated the project. It then details the objectives, participatory process, financial arrangements, management structure, goals, threats, zoning plans, and guidelines for artificial reef development and monitoring to balance multiple uses and protect the environment.

1. Artificial Reef
Project
Marine & Community Values

2. Background
• Increase in water-based tourism activity
in Tyre vs. traditional users
• Conflict and competition for limited
space and resources among various users
and uses
• Degradation of resources; loss of
economic opportunity; threat of violence!
• Initial unsuccessful effort by Department
of Fisheries

3. TyMMA
Tyre Marine Management Area:
A Pilot Artificial Reef project and
Marine Protected Area

4. Tyre Artificial
Reef Objective
To contribute to national and local development,
Particularly in the fisheries and tourism sectors,
Management of the Tyre coastal zone,
Establish sustainable use, co-operation among resource
users, institutional collaboration, active and
enlightened local participation, and equitable sharing
of benefits and responsibilities among stakeholders.

5. Unique Consultative
and Participatory
Process
•Clean slate
•Multiple stakeholder meetings: governmental, non-
governmental, community-based persons
•Representation/mobilisation of groups
•Various site visits
•Scientific studies and popular knowledge
•No time line

6. Financial
Arrangements
•User fees: SCUBA diving, snorkeling and flora
conservation (mooring)
•Installation of moorings
•Sale of souvenirs
•Coffee shop
•Donations
•Grants

7. What can Purple Reef Do?
• Scientific research on the natural resources of the area
• Regular monitoring of the reef’s life, water quality and
other environmental factors and resources
• Public information and sensitization
• Provision of facilities for users of the TyMMA, e.g.
moorings
• Coordination of economic activities related to the TyMMA
and its resources

8. What will TyMMA
Committee Do
• Promotion of technologies that are appropriate and
linked with local environmental, social and cultural
aspects of the TyMMA
• Surveillance and enforcement of rules and regulations
• Conflict resolution among the various user groups
whenever necessary
• Maintenance of the principles of ongoing participation
and public consultation

9. A Set of Goals
• Co-existence of users with minimal conflict
• Support the locals, improve the local economy, highlight
the cultural heritage
• Increases in fish stocks, in marine reserves and fishing
areas and reflection of these increases in fishermen’s
catches
• Self-sustainability with regards to operating costs
• International recognition
• Community support
• Enhanced awareness and sensitization

10. Threats to be contained and
controlled
• Sedimentation and Sewage
• Overuse of certain dive sites (localized
congestion)
• Non-compliance with rules and regulations by
fishers from communities adjacent to Tyre
• Lenient penalties
• Inadequate consultation regarding development
activity or inadequate and/or untimely action
when reports are made
• Late payment of user fees

11. New
Developments/Challenges
Spread the Marine
Management Area projects
Proposed new green
ecological hotel development
in the TyMMA, including
marina
International Conservation
Site
Sedimentation &
wastewater, coupled with
the compounding effects of
storm events and Global
warming

12. Zoning Arrangements
• Marine Reserves
• Fishing Priority Areas
• Mooring Areas
• Recreational Areas
• Multiple Use Areas

13. The setting up of ARs to attract fish in
Mediterranean goes
back to around 3,000 years ago
The rocks used as anchors for
the tuna fishery nets in the
Mediterranean Sea were left on
the seabed at the end of each
fishing season, accumulated
over time and made new rocky
habitats populated by benthic
fauna and fish which were
exploited by local fishermen
during the intervals between
the fishing tuna seasons
In the middle of the 17th century artificial reefs were used in Japan under various
shapes for fish attraction.
Modern concept of “Artificial Reef”
USA 1800s Europe 1900s

14. IMO-UNEP 2008
OSPAR 1999 UNEP-MAP 2005
London Convention and
Guidelines on Artificial Reefs in Guidelines for the Placement
Protocol / UNEP guidelines for
relation to Living Marine Resources 1999 at Sea of Matter the placement of ARs
for Purpose other than mere
Disposal (Construction of
Artificial Reefs)
AR DEFINITION
AR is a submerged structure
deliberately placed on the seabed to
mimic some functions of a natural Materials, design, placement,
reef, such as protecting, administrative action,
regenerating, concentrating and/or monitoring, scientific
enhancing populations of living experiments, management and
marine resources liabilities
The term EXCLUDES artificial
islands, cables, pipelines, platforms,
mooring, and other structures for
coastal defense (e.g. breakwaters)

15. GUIDELINES PURPOSE
Assessing proposals for the placement of ARs on the basis of scientifically sound criteria and
developing an appropriate regulatory framework
Implementing regulations on the AR construction
Preventing of pollution or degradation of the marine environment as a consequence of waste
deployment

16. MEDITERRANEAN SEA ARTIFICIAL REEF
NETWORK
Spain
France
Principality of
Monaco
Italy
Albania
Greece
Turkey
Cyprus
Malta
Tunisia

17. GREECE CASE STUDY
Construction of ARs started in 1999
MULTIANNUAL PROGRAM FOR FISHERY DEVELOPMENT
Protection and management of fisheries resources
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE Construction, monitoring
and funding
Site identification
before 2004 after 2004
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE LOCAL FISHERY
ASSOCIATIONS,
through Local Prefectures

18. GREECE CASE STUDY
AR CONSTRUCTION PROCEDURE
Feasibility study Environmental features
Local Fish assemblage
Existence of sensitive areas or areas under specific
regimes
Permissions by all Dependence of the area on fisheries
Socio-economic aspects of local fisheries
authorities
competent in sea Archaeological Authority
management Ministry of Maritime Affairs
Ministry of Environment
Hydrographical National Authority
Ichthyologic study
Oceanographic study
Additional studies
Construction study
Environmental impact study
AR deployment Oceanographic investigations
Fish assemblage inside and outside the AR
Benthic colonization of the structures
Landing monitoring program at the nearest fishing
ports
5-year monitoring program

19. GREECE CASE STUDY
FOUR Existing ARs (2000-06) SIX New positions identified
Ministry of Agriculture Feasibility Study Local
Prefectures
Surface: 8-10 km2 Surface: 10 km2

20. ARs in Mediterranean have been
developed over 40 years with
different aims
• nature conservation and restoration
• fish stock enhancement
• fishery management and improvement
• aquaculture
• research
• recreation

21. Highlights
• Research has strongly contributed to the AR success; better understanding of the many
challenges offered by ARs for the conservation and sustainable use of the marine
environment and its resources.
• Development of several guidelines aimed to assist in AR construction and avoid
dumping in the European seas.
• Unambiguous definition of AR. Plus common protocols for the AR deployment and the
assessment of their effectiveness and impacts.
• In spite of the recent developments, National and/or Regional programs for AR
deployment are only in force in most of countries overlooking the Mediterranean Sea,
while only few of these programs have been developed in the other European Regions
(Portugal and Spain) up to now.
• Adoption of overall regional/national programs is strongly recommended in the view
of overall plans based on a holistic approach to fisheries and nature conservation
within the coastal zone.
• At the same time, research and cooperation among researchers should continue to
fully understand how the ARs work and how they can be manipulated to get desired
biological and socio-economic products.
• In fact, the key of acceptance of AR concept still depends on research and
dissemination of knowledge among the managers of the marine environment and users.

22. To Avoid
• Toxic Materials
The use of toxic materials is a common mistake when building an artificial
coral reef. This greatly pollutes the habitat and nullifies any benefit
artificial reefs have to wildlife.
• Damage to Nests
Artificial reefs often do not reach the weight requirement necessary to
keep them in one place. They are known to float along the sea floor,
damaging wildlife and often disturbing or destroying nests.
• Ocean Dumping
Many times, artificial reefs will be chained to light buoys or not be
sufficiently chained at all. In addition, some of these reefs are poorly
constructed. Both of these factors greatly increase the amount of ocean
dumping each year.
• Vessel Collision
There are a number of artificial reefs being placed and mounted without
any sort of marker on the surface of the water. This prevents boats and
fishing vessels from avoiding them and they can do damage to the vessels
and the surrounding real reefs.
• Example
Cleaned and sanitized military tanks have been used to construct artificial
reefs. Some worry that toxicity due to firing heavy artillery could damage
the environment, but those that are sanitized properly make suitable reefs

23. Thank you