Jane Maddocks argues that government departments are missing the point about the UK ’ s maritime heritage
ENVIRONMENT
Taking it further
Shipwrecks - the neglected habitat
Jane Maddocks argues that government departments are missing the point about the UK ’ s maritime heritage
I
am at 26 metres on a mobile sandy bottom , probe in one hand , tape measure in the other . It is my buddy Phil ’ s turn with the metal detector . We are on a project , somewhere off the South Coast , wreck hunting .
Our target is a major warship that I have been looking for , on and off , for 20 years . It will be well buried in sand and beach gravels , with little showing above the seabed . When we find it , it will be awesome . I wonder if the brewery with the relevant name would sponsor us ?
The current is picking up . As we surface carefully up the shot ( too close to passing shipping to ascend on DSMBs ) I am wondering why ? Why am I diving in the murk ? Why am I spending all of my disposable income chartering boats , replacing old tape measures , and collating co-ordinates ?
I do this because , like so many divers , wreck discovery , exploration , and just visiting a wreck as a sightseeing diver is a major reason I dive . And that is why I am feeling really worried as I write this .
The marine environment is so important . The health of our seas , the need to be aware of the effects of ocean acidification , the effects of climate change , and how our behaviour can contribute to modifying or increasing the serious future effects on the earth are not disputed . Water discharge quality , visible pollution as sewage , and the dangers of hidden pollutants in the water via run off and chemicals are all highly visible and contentious issues .
All good so far , so why am I worried ? This stuff is important , but for over three years now I have been at meetings of government bodies and responded to various consultations . The word on everyone ’ s lips is ‘ environment ’.
Nowhere but nowhere are wrecks or any form of underwater cultural heritage ( UCH ) given a mention , a passing nod , or even any indication they have any importance whatsoever . When I challenge this , I get the mumbled response ‘ of course - environment means wrecks as well ’.
No , it doesn ’ t . This is bad news , and we must redress the balance .
We are lucky that the marine heritage teams in the UK are doing their best to keep the issue of how we value our shipwrecks
“ The word on everyone ’ s lips is ‘ environment ’”
and UCH in the mainstream discussion with government departments . We need to give them supporting evidence that would help them raise the profile of the importance of our amazing wreck heritage .
The money and the policies are targeted at topics such as Marine Net Gain , MCZs and similar seabed quality and marine life information . What do we need to do to get wrecks into their proper place on the agendas of various bodies ?
We have hundreds of divers diving on wrecks every week . Let ’ s use the magic of the recreational diver ’ s ability to see what is going on underwater .
Let ’ s make wrecks the focus as a habitat of species that supports the health of our seas and marine biodiversity . If ‘ environment ’ is the word of the week we should use that to support getting our wrecks into the public domain as important species habitats .
I need a project manager with a wide range of expertise who can attract others with some of the following skills :
■ Marine biologist who is also a committed wreck diver who can create a species observation list
■ Data manager who can deal with collating socio-economic value of wreck diving .
■ Data manager who can collate information about species habitat and help with species identification .
■ Data specialist who can advise on proper recording and storage of data , so it can be used productively
If you would be happy to contribute data or information , but don ’ t want to take on a whole project email me and let ’ s see how we can use your observations .
We have over 22,000 members of BSAC ; together , we can do this .
■ Email Jane Maddocks at uwheritage @ bsac . com
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