(MENAFN- Arab News) BREST France: Tourists and film stars hitting the beach at the French Riviera resort of Cannes may be blissfully unaware but lurking beneath the sparkling waves are tens of thousands of now troublesome scrap tires sunk deliberately to boost marine development.
In the 1960s it seemed like the ultimate win-win idea: Sink tires into the sea and create artificial reefs stimulate marine life help the fishing industry and get rid of unwanted scrap in one fell swoop.
But decades later and after millions of tires have been sent to the deep authorities worried about pollution are starting to reverse the trend and haul the tires back.
On the French Riviera coast authorities have just started an operation to remove around 2000 tires a pilot scheme that could be extended to reclaim all 25000 tires under the sea between Cannes and Antibes another posh resort next year.
The problem has been that the tires have been dragged around by the currents and in many cases broken up damaging the ecosystem and failing to attract the marine life expected.
France was by no means alone in thinking this was a good idea. According to scientists around 200 artificial reefs made of tires are in existence worldwide notably in waters off the United States Japan Malaysia and Israel.
The French agency in charge of protecting marine areas based in the port of Brest in the northwest Brittany region aims to 'restore' the habitat by removing the tires.