On the Algerian coast, artificial reefs for biodiversity

Artificial reefs to favor the return of biodiversity, threatened by pollution and anthropogenic action on ecosystems. This is the action put in place by the General Directorate for Fisheries and Aquaculture of the Ministry of Agriculture in Algeria.

The first artificial reefs were installed off the Club des Pins beach resort and on the Surcouf beach, located to the east and west of the Wilaya of Algeri, respectively. In the first quarter of 2019, new reefs will be installed along the entire coast of Algiers.

Rabia Zerouki, Director of Fisheries of the Wilaya of Algiers declared that “artificial reefs have a great role in the reconstitution of the natural habitats of different fish species, threatened by the pollution that, in recent years has affected the whole Mediterranean”.

The relevance of these barriers was also found through the observation of the wreck of the English “Leads Town” warship, sunk, in 1949, off the coast of Algiers, at a depth of about 30 meters. The wreck has now become an area of ​​great interest in terms of history, culture, tourism, but above all a very important restocking site, which offers the optimal conditions for the life of different species of fish.

The installation of artificial reefs in addition to being very important from an environmental point of view for habitat restocking also plays an important role against the phenomenon of coastal erosion and trawling.