Thailand creates garbage truck reef

THAILAND has dumped 189 old garbage trucks off its southern coast in a bid to build an artificial reef to lure fish for local fishermen.

The trucks, once used to collect refuse in the sprawling Thai capital Bangkok, were dropped into the Gulf of Thailand, about 5.5 km from the southern province of Pattani.

Under a project initiated by Thailand's queen in 2002, everything from concrete pillars to old rail cars have been dumped at 47 sites in the waters off southern Thailand.

Fishery Department official Rangsan Chayakul said about 43 species of fish are now living around these artificial reefs, up from 15 species before.

"The reef will protect shallow-water fishermen from high waves and give them a good source of income,'' he said.

Source: Reuters - June 26, 2006

Were they empty or full ?

Seems to me they're just using the ocean as a huge garbage can under the comfortable excuse of providing "artificial reefs"

Artificial reefs have been quite sucessful. We had one done near where I lived in Canada. Every project has objects and hopefully it is for the environment and not carbage disposal.