With a joint decision of six ministers, the Chamber of Heraklion approved the sinking of 40 elements of innovative technology artificial reefs in the diving park at the “Platia” location, in the Stalis marine area in Hersonissos, Crete.
The diving park in Stalis, which is expected to be operational in 2025, is one of four total diving parks that the 4 Chambers of Crete have planned to implement in Stalis, Mononaftis, and in southern Crete.
The aim of the sinking of the artificial reefs is to improve the underwater flora and fauna, as well as to serve the purposes of the diving park. The reefs will contribute, among other things, to the greatest increase in the diversity of organisms that will be hosted, acting as a pole of attraction for marine life, transforming the area into a vast marine “open” aquarium.
According to the decision, the artificial reefs are free of substances such as fuels, lubricants and harmful equipment and are suitable for the intended uses during their immersion in the sea.
Among other things, in order to maintain the quality and morphology of the seabed, the clarity and purity of the water, the protection of the marine ecosystem and the biodiversity of the wider area but also for the benefit of the sustainability of the park, the immersion will take place in areas with less sensitive habitats, such as those with sandy bottoms and in no case in areas where the species Posidonia grows.
At the same time, within the framework of the implementation of the Environmental Management Program, it is planned to monitor the marine ecosystem and record the water quality and the conservation status of the fish fauna and flora of the area.
Furthermore, due to the fact that the ban on fishing in the area of ??the diving park will cause, in addition to the increase in traditional catches, an increase in Lessepsian migrants, with the risk of the prevalence of invasive species such as the lagocephalus, an annual report and measures to limit the spread of these species are planned.
It is noted that the installation of the innovative technology artificial reefs was approved by the Ministers of National Defense, Nikos Dendias, Environment and Energy, Theodoros Skylakakis, Culture, Lina Mendoni, Shipping and Island Policy, Christos Stylianides, Tourism, Olga Kefalogianni, as well as the Deputy Minister of Rural Development and Food, Christos Kellas.
It should be noted that the development of diving tourism is among the priorities of the Ministry of Tourism. In this context, the Ministry is launching the creation of a platform for diving and underwater tourism, which will include functions such as an interactive map of diving and underwater destinations and a digital guide to diving centers. It will also feature an artificial intelligence digital assistant, which will provide specialized suggestions, depending on the interests of the platform users. This is a project that aims to diversify the tourism product while ensuring the protection of underwater areas.
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