Ireland turns seized smuggling ship into artificial reef

Irish customs officers seized a smuggling vessel carrying 32 million illegal cigarettes in 2014. The ship, the MV Shingle, sat in Dublin Port for nine years while authorities handled legal proceedings and assessed the vessel for reuse.

Because of rust and asbestos, the ship became unsellable and too expensive to scrap. In 2024, a local environmental program called Killala Bay Ships 2 Reef took ownership of the 197-foot vessel.

The program ethically sank the ship 2.5 miles off the west coast of Ireland to create an artificial reef. The Revenue Commissioners of Ireland reported that marine plants and creatures colonized the wreck almost immediately. Marine ecologist Jose Maria Fariñas-Franco of Atlantic Technological University noted that the growth on the wreck is impressive for the time it has spent underwater.

Such artificial reefs are designed to foster marine ecosystems, and some research suggests they can host higher fish densities than natural reefs. Scientists continue to study the long-term effects of these projects, including whether they might draw fish away from natural habitats. Other regions use different methods to restore marine life, such as using acoustic recordings to lure fish to damaged reefs in Australia or placing concrete pyramids in Grenada to provide structure for coral and algae.