An artificial reef made up of algae, mussels and worms will be put in next month off La Panne. Het Laatste Nieuws reports this on Thursday. The Secretary of State in charge of the North Sea, Philippe De Backer (Open Vld), has given the green light to this pilot project, which aims to protect the beach against storms.
Up to now, the Belgian coast has always been protected by solid structures, such as breakwaters and seawalls. The new project aims to only employ natural materials, such as algae reefs, mussels and tubeworms. These organisms should hold in the sand, which in bad weather, is swept back into the sea.
These reefs will be installed approximately 1.5 kilometres off La Panne. They will not be visible from the beach. The project is financed by five specialist firms who then hope to export this technique abroad.
The Brussels Times
