How Yemenis catch fish with ‘scrap’ reefs using plastic and tires

Artificial reefs have become the talk of the town. If you’ve heard of the “best-out-of-waste” concept, these reefs are an ideal example of it that aims to contribute to a sustainable environment.

These are man-made structures that are positioned in the ocean to imitate actual ocean reefs. The traditional role of ocean reefs is to protect coastlines from storms and erosion in addition to also regulating carbon dioxide levels in the ocean.

Recently, fisher people in Yemen have been creatively devising ways to make artificial reefs to tackle the decline in fish populations as a consequence of overfishing and environmental degradation.

Fish harvesters DIY artificial reefs in Yemen

Using the “do-it-yourself” (DIY) approach, the fishermen have been using sinking scrap materials and tires into the Red Sea – creating their own artificial reefs.

They load scrap materials onto boats and transport them to designated locations called “matrahs” (places where things are discarded), where they submerge the scrap-based reefs into the seabed.

The DIY reefs attract marine life, encouraging them to form habitats here. However, the approach has raised environmental concerns mainly with regard to the inorganic waste potentially causing pollution and damaging the natural ecosystem.

Ahmed Dawood, a Yemeni fisherman, told The Guardian that farmers have pastures, and fishermen, too, have feeding grounds they are responsible for.

“Our farms are underwater, and our feed is piles of discarded scrap.”

“It’s an old practice that we’ve inherited from our ancestors and it works,” he added. “Over time, the scrap attracts droves of fish.”

These fishermen have been working to keep the marine life active along the 1,200-mile (1,900km) coastline , which is a major source of income.

‘Scrap’ reefs igniting environmental concerns

In the past, the New Heaven Reef Conservation Program has also expressed concerns about using waste materials for building reefs. The organization says they might be too small or unable for organisms to grow on them.

“They often leach toxic chemicals or do not provide the surface micro-structure needed for organisms to latch onto,” as seen with the Osborn reef built in Florida in the early 1970s.

The Osborn reef involved dropping nearly two million old tires onto the seabed. However, it was discovered 30 years later that almost no fish inhabited the area.

On the other hand, MIT engineers “architected” artificial reefs described as sustainable, cylindrical structures with rudder-like slats.

These features enable the reefs to effectively break up and dissipate the energy of incoming waves, reducing their impact by over 95 percent.

This means the reefs can significantly mitigate the force of waves, thereby protecting coastal areas from erosion and storm damage while also providing habitats for marine life.

Modular design

Designed to create habitats for marine life, the reefs are crafted with sustainable cement in a voxel pattern.

The modular design is assembled into long, semi-permeable walls offshore, offering effective storm protection and erosion control for vulnerable coastal communities.

In the case of Yemen, many oppose the practice of placing reefs devised from man-made objects, and now the community is faced with accusations of poaching in matrahs.

Abdullah Abdo Majhasi, a community leader in Al-Khawkhah, told The Guardian that such accusations are usually resolved through maritime customary law, with penalties varying depending on the issue.

“For instance, the violator might face a fine or be barred from fishing for seven to three days, along with signing a pledge,” he stated.

However, “it is not easy for fishermen to give up ‘pastures’ they have created over 30 years,” Majhasi concluded.