Page 271 - Manual for Activities directed at the Underwater Cultural Heritage

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Litter deriving from fishing has systematically affected the bottom of large tracts of shallow seas and the heritage located there. Lost fish tackle, including hooks and small anchors, dating from all periods subsequent to the first formation of the site, are a standard feature of all archaeological sites at sea. Today’s durable synthetic netting materials, which are not necessarily a sign of trawling, litter the sea bottom and tend to collect especially around surface irregularities such as archaeological sites at the bottom surface.
Most fisheries however, no longer use ground tackle at all. And for those that do, destroying archaeological sites is not the result of responsible and informed economic practice but rather due to negligence or bad information. Responsible local fishermen with detailed knowledge of sea bottom conditions try to avoid direct contact with sites that destroy their equipment as ground-tackle gear is expensive and sustains their livelihood. These fishermen will map with utmost accuracy anomalous bottom features such as archaeological sites or offshore installations but nonetheless trawl as closely to them as possible because they feature a different and richer marine life than elsewhere. Fishermen using more stationary non-intrusive tackle will even more purposefully seek out hotspots of stationary fish and bottom crawlers.
 © Seafish. Graphic of fishing gears in the water column. Ground trawling is a major concern for the preservation of submerged archaeological sites and the environment.Trawler now increasingly venture into deep wa- ters and destroy the seabed with their heavy nets and wheels drag- ging along the seabed. Ground tackle and its residuals such as
lost fishing tackle, including hooks and small anchors have equally af- fected the bottom of large tracts of shallow seas and the heritage located there.Today an ever increasing number of fisheries no longer use ground tackle at all.
Environment