As a responsible seabed user, the marine aggregates industry is keen to preserve our marine heritage and to contribute to better understanding of it. Heritage issues that have to be taken into account include the more obvious ship and aircraft remains, but also prehistoric landscapes and artefacts, including cannon balls and prehistoric fossils.
BMAPA has worked in partnership with English Heritage, statutory advisor to UK Government on England’s historic environment, to develop a Guidance Note which ensures that marine heritage issues are comprehensively addressed at every stage of marine aggregate development and production. This includes a requirement for seabed mapping prior to dredging in order to establish the positions of any wrecks and debris and the potential for submerged prehistoric landscapes. Where features of archaeological significance are encountered, localised dredging restrictions are employed.
Where required, dredging activities also take account of any specific guidance provided by marine archaeologists, which may include monitoring particular aspects of the seabed development.
BMAPA has also developed a reporting protocol for archaeological finds discovered during the dredging process, again in partnership with English Heritage. The protocol has been voluntarily applied by BMAPA member companies across all its operations, and captures over 25 dredging vessels and 60 marine aggregate wharves. The protocol is supported by marine archaeological experts, who provide advice to operators and ensure that finds are correctly recorded and archived.
The Guidance Note and Reporting Protocol, together with examples of recent finds associated with marine aggregate operations can be viewed and downloaded through the following link:
You can get an expert view on the issue of how dredging affects marine archaeology by watching a specially commissioned BMAPA video.
View video (to come from ECP) |