An Australian artificial reef association is planning to sink an Iraqi MiG fighter, one of about 50 hidden planes seized in Iraq's western desert by the Australian SAS, at a dive site south of the Great Barrier Reef.

The Iraq war could bring unexpected benefits for diving tourism if the plans to sink a fighter plane at Bundaberg get the go-ahead. Bundaberg and District Artificial Reef Association have asked the Australian defence minister for permission to use one of the Iraqi MiGs as a diving attraction at the well established Cochrane Artifical Reef site, situated within the Great Barrier Reef marine park.

The fighter jets are currently being held by the US military after being dug out from a hidden desert bunker in Iraq.

"It is too premature to comment on the Mig as yet, but it would be a wonderful asset if the Artificial Reef Committee was able to sink it" Jenny from Bundaberg Aqua Scuba told Divernet.

The Bundaberg and District Artificial Reef Association is based in Queensland, and succeeded in creating the Cochrane Artificial Reef site in 1987 - the only Australian artificial reef site to be approved within an existing national marine park. Bundaberg is 4 hours drive north of Brisbane, with excellent transport links, and is known as 'the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef'.

A 50m dredger, two Mohawk aircraft, a 15 seater Kingair plane, a landing barge and two Lightships have already been sunk at the site. The photo gallery of the dive site demonstrates that dense shoals and large groupers have quickly adopted the wrecks as home.

Earlier this year, the UK gained its first artificial reef when HMS Scylla was sunk in Whitesand Bay, close to the wreck of the James Eagan Layne, by the National Marine Aquarium at Plymouth. MiG photo courtesy United States Department of Defense

Related pages
Badari Artifical Reef Consortium website
Bundaberg Aqua Scuba website
Plymouth's National Marine Aquarium gets go ahead to sink the Scylla

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