Over the years 80 percent of the original rock reefs along the Danish coast have been removed and used for construction on land. Now new reefs are being recreated.
Previously, there were many more rocks and rock reefs in Danish waters. It sounds crazy, but for centuries the stones have been fished out and used for port construction, coastal protection and other construction work on land.
Rocks have been a shortage in Denmark since the country does not have mountains or rocky ground (with the exception of the island of Bornholm).
Especially the largest rocks and the reefs close to land have been removed because they were easy to get hold of. Over the years, this fate has affected approximately 80 percent of the original rock reefs along the Danish coast.
New recreated reefs to benefit biodiversity
The recreated and new rock reefs will benefit biodiversity, but fishing and outdoor activities will also benefit because the reefs will eventually become important nursery areas for many fish species.
New rock reefs have been built in the Kattegat, but also in many of the inland waters. The Kattegat is a 30,000 km2 (12,000 sq mi) sea area bounded by the peninsula of Jutland in the west.
In the Limfjord – Denmark’s largest fjord, several new reefs have been established and another reef is now being established off the Vejlerne Nature Reserve. The reef will cover the equivalent of 50 football fields in the fjord.
The new reef is part of the Coastal Life project with a total budget of 300 million kroner.
