Ship 2 Reefs Legislation in Florida
Just saw this on Divenewswire so thought I'd share.
DEMA Praises Signing of Ship 2 Reefs Legislation in Florida
New Law to Become Effective on July 1, 2008
The Diving Equipment and Marketing Association applauds Florida State Governor Charlie Crist for signing the Ships-2-Reefs bill on June 10, 2008. The new law, which will establish a matching grant program and will authorize the sinking of decommissioned U.S. Military vessels as artificial reefs, was presented to the Governor after it was unanimously passed by the Florida Senate and House of Representatives this year in early May.
The Ships-2-Reefs bill was first proposed in November 2006 by Al Hornsby, Sr. Vice President of PADI Worldwide and President of the DEMA Board of Directors, and attorney Bob Harris under the auspices of the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI). In January 2007, DEMA was asked to take the lead in securing passage of the legislation and retained Bob Harris as a lobbyist in Tallahassee, Florida.
“Today we are celebrating the success of our collective efforts in promoting and creating awareness about the importance of artificial reefs, especially in Florida, which leads the nation with over 470 ships and barges already functioning as artificial reefs,” said Al Hornsby.
“It is my hope that our effort and success in Florida will inspire other states to create and pass similar bills. The Ships to Reefs bill not only provides additional coastal marine habitat, but will also generate substantial revenue for the Florida tourism industry, including over 250 Florida-based retail dive centers, additional fishing businesses, hotels, restaurants, marinas and others serving the thousands of visitors who choose Florida to scuba dive on the artificial reef trail,” he concluded.
In May, 2006 the Pensacola Convention and Visitors Bureau invested $1 million in bringing the aircraft carrier, USS Oriskany to the Pensacola Florida area, where it was placed as an artificial reef. PCVB estimated that their entire investment was returned to the surrounding community during the three days after the carrier was sunk. The expenditures of divers visiting artificial reefs in Florida, such as the USS Oriskany, were more than $220 per person per day and the return on investment is more than $131 for every $1 dollar of local and state investment. According to one study, artificial reef sites based on sunken ships generate an average of $3.4 million in gross revenues annually.
DEMA has vigorously pursued the passage of this bill because it provides direct benefits to the diving industry, including providing additional habitat for aquatic life, encouraging inactive but already certified divers to return to diving, and keeping diving in the public eye through the diving and non-diving media with positive and environmentally sound activities that also increase business to stores, manufacturers, training organizations, and travel providers.
In addition to being spectacular dive sites, artificial reefs provide supplementary hard bottom habitats that favor many species of large reef fish. They also act as alternatives to the natural reefs, providing additional places to dive and fish, and reducing user pressure on the natural reefs. For more information about starting a Ships to Reefs project for your area, visit www.ships2reefs.com.
