Tonnes of stone arrives at Weymouth ferry port for new reef project

11:30am Sunday 11th March 2012 in News By Samantha Harman

SCHEME: Project co-ordinator Neville Copperthwaite, front, with directors Sean Webb, left, and Marcus Darler SCHEME: Project co-ordinator Neville Copperthwaite, front, with directors Sean Webb, left, and Marcus Darler

TONNES of stones have arrived at Weymouth ferry port ready to be used in an ambitious reef project.

Around 1,750 tonnes of stone, delivered by 92 lorries, will be loaded onto a barge and will be laid to form a lobster nursery in a reef in Weymouth Bay.

The Wreck to Reef (W2R) team is behind the project, which is designed to attract more divers to the area.

Neville Copperthwaite, project co-ordinator, said: “It’s very exciting.

“It’s getting real after all of the hard work over the years.

“We have got 600 tonnes ready to take out on the barge in two loads on Monday.

“Then we’ll have the same for Tuesday and Wednesday.

“A total of 92 lorry-loads will form the start of the reef one mile south of Ringstead.”

It is hoped that baby lobsters placed at the new reef will be monitored by the Southern Sea Fisheries Committee, but a decision is yet to be made.

The project has been planned for three years.

Ian Carrier, chief fishery officer of the committee, said: “As part of the project, we have been considering stocking the reef with baby lobsters so we can get some research out of it.

“There is not a lot known about lobsters between when they are babies and four years old.

“Part of the reason for this is that they disappear and also because they tend to come out at night.

“We would like to do some sort of study but the committee is yet to make a final decision.

“Before we commit any money to this, we wanted to see a business plan and go through costing.

“It could possibly be done cheaper and those are the sort of conversations we have been having.

“We are supportive of the project and just wait to hear what the committee says.”

Mr Copperthwaite said: “We need to put this bed down now and let it mature for a year.

“We have now got permission to put two ships down in the reef.

“MPs Oliver Letwin and Richard Drax are helping us secure funding to put the first down after the Olympics.”

The lobsters, incubated and hatched in a Padstow hatchery, will be placed in the nursery at a later date.

It will take up to six years for them to grow from half an inch to a size suitable for sale. For the first four years, they will stay in a small ring of stone, away from predators.

During this time, a larger ring will be built around the first so that as the lobsters grow, they can move.

Mr Copperthwaite said this will be the first of four reefs in Weymouth Bay.

He said: “There will be a community reef.

“The idea is that anybody can come up with an idea and help us build it.”

Comments(24)

Crabber says...
1:24pm Sun 11 Mar 12

Bound to fail then with Copperthwaite involved in it.The man has the Midas touch,everything he touche's turns to S**t.. Here's an Idea for helping to build it go out on 'The Moor' and get the little Chavies to burn a few more cars out,that'll help.

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uwatec says...
1:43pm Sun 11 Mar 12

Well said Crabber, it appears that in between oysters, building firms, pubs and l believe a yacht surveyor ! Wasnt the start of it a Lobster museum or something like that at the Bill ?

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Laadeeda says...
3:28pm Sun 11 Mar 12

Hasn't Dorset learned anything from a similar project off Boscombe, Bournemouth. It failed!

Weymouth now follows suit! Doomed, it's doomed.

Leave nature alone, it doesn't pay to mess with something that has been there for thousands of years.

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malkie says...
4:24pm Sun 11 Mar 12

Ain't this all we need, a "hazard to shipping"? The mind boggles Don't it?

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mark@greenhill says...
4:54pm Sun 11 Mar 12

I note the same depressing, doom mongers have voiced all their thoughts, without finding out any of the facts first.

As always, the same mindless, negative people, attack all & anyone for even attempting anything new or different in this town.

Perhaps if you did your homework before writing to the paper, you wouldn't make your selves appear quite so ignorant?

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IDONTKNOWIFITISTRRUE says...
5:01pm Sun 11 Mar 12

Have they run out of stone on Portland, couldn't the barge be loaded with Portland stone and loaded on the barge in Portland harbour?
Maybe this is 'special' stone like that used for the momentous (and very expensive) sculpture at the Jurassic roundabout.

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Be_Happy says...
5:22pm Sun 11 Mar 12

Sorry Mark, but Nevilles track record does speak for itself.

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boobooweymouth says...
5:29pm Sun 11 Mar 12

Laadeeda wrote:
Hasn't Dorset learned anything from a similar project off Boscombe, Bournemouth. It failed!

Weymouth now follows suit! Doomed, it's doomed.

Leave nature alone, it doesn't pay to mess with something that has been there for thousands of years.
The one in Boscombe is a surf reef so not really similar at all. This sounds good to me. Another reason for tourists to visit.

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TenBobDylanThomasHardy says...
5:41pm Sun 11 Mar 12

So, instead of the petty sniping and personal insults, lets try;
"best of luck Neville. You deserve to succeed for your perserverence."

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Laadeeda says...
6:22pm Sun 11 Mar 12

boobooweymouth wrote:
Laadeeda wrote:
Hasn't Dorset learned anything from a similar project off Boscombe, Bournemouth. It failed!

Weymouth now follows suit! Doomed, it's doomed.

Leave nature alone, it doesn't pay to mess with something that has been there for thousands of years.
The one in Boscombe is a surf reef so not really similar at all. This sounds good to me. Another reason for tourists to visit.
So a 'surf' reef is specific.

A reef is a reef isn't it?

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Be_Happy says...
6:30pm Sun 11 Mar 12

TenBobDylanThomasHar
dy wrote:
So, instead of the petty sniping and personal insults, lets try;
"best of luck Neville. You deserve to succeed for your perserverence."
Yes best of luck, and then you may be able to compensate the 2 people I know who have suffered because of your business in the past. Seperate endevers may I add.

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Crabber says...
6:40pm Sun 11 Mar 12

Mark@greenhill; if your comment was aimed at me among others I am still owed monies by this and i use the word loosely Man, so Yes I do know what I am talking about and so do many many more

Ladeeda; The Reef @ Boscombe is designed to generate Surf,whereas Copperthwites is designed to provide a Marine Habitat.So no in this case a Reef is not a Reef at all.

Uwatec: One in the same mate.Absolutely Spot On

Tenbobdylanthomashar
dy: I hope it works but knowing the man I bet it doesn't, a good man at conning others out of their hard earned legally, but he'll get caught

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Be_Happy says...
7:11pm Sun 11 Mar 12

Crabber wrote:
Mark@greenhill; if your comment was aimed at me among others I am still owed monies by this and i use the word loosely Man, so Yes I do know what I am talking about and so do many many more

Ladeeda; The Reef @ Boscombe is designed to generate Surf,whereas Copperthwites is designed to provide a Marine Habitat.So no in this case a Reef is not a Reef at all.

Uwatec: One in the same mate.Absolutely Spot On

Tenbobdylanthomashar

dy: I hope it works but knowing the man I bet it doesn't, a good man at conning others out of their hard earned legally, but he'll get caught
make that 3 then

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uwatec says...
7:14pm Sun 11 Mar 12

Crabber, he owes me money as well, Mark @ greenhill l am all for new ideas for the borough but trust me this guys track record speaks for itself, and tenbob, to say good luck to him sticks in my throat

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TenBobDylanThomasHardy says...
8:31pm Sun 11 Mar 12

Okay, apologies to those to whom Neville owes money, perhaps I didn't appreciate that when reading the comments. Let's hope he can make enough to clear his debts and his reputation.

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redsurfbus says...
11:35pm Sun 11 Mar 12

Yes Laadeeda a surf reef is specific, the Boscombe reef was created with huge bags of sand filled in a specific direction to the swell and currents in the channel. This creates a place that should have ramped up the wave causing it to break rather than roll.

Ironically I think this will make a great surf reef as that is not the intention, looking forward to having a go on the wave myself ;-)

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portland2222 says...
8:15am Mon 12 Mar 12

neville, is a complete and utter messer. owes money everwhere & always goes back on his word. stay clear of this man!!!!!

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scubadude says...
9:31am Mon 12 Mar 12

Firstly a small circular pile of rocks a mile offshore isn't anything like the fake surf reef in Bournemouth, it's got alot of water over it as well so no issue for boaters. Secondly- I don't know anything about this Neville chap but the rock is here and being dumped this week, so sounds like this project is working irrespective of previous issues. W2R is a great idea that will bring more people to the town, it's not being paid for by our taxes so whats to loose?

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harpic says...
9:54am Mon 12 Mar 12

Is this local Portland stone if not why not?

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IDONTKNOWIFITISTRRUE says...
9:56am Mon 12 Mar 12

harpic
See my post 5:01pm Sun 11 Mar 12

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portlandboy says...
4:16pm Mon 12 Mar 12

Dear Sirs,
I notice that you have a large pile of rocks being loaded into your boat near our ferry port. Please could you see fit to drop quite a lot of it along the wall of the Condor berth. I will make sure it is worth your while.
Many thanks,
A Man From The Harbour Committee

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lotusman says...
5:33pm Tue 13 Mar 12

Is this is a joke?

Don't trust this man.. He ruined the Cove House with his terrible service/food.. And even barred some of the locals..

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algy says...
6:33pm Tue 13 Mar 12

I dont know this chap but he sounds like another george rolls.

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Desk24 says...
1:24pm Wed 14 Mar 12

This is good for the fish, they can play hide and seek from each other behind the stones.

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