Saxon Ranger sunk as scuba diving wreck south of Perth

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Saxon Ranger sunk as scuba diving wreck south of Perth

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by LAMAR BENNINGTON - CDNN Industry Editor

PERTH, Australia (24 May 2005) -- A 400-ton ship has been sunk south of Perth to boost West Austalia's tourism industry.

The 38-meter (125-foot) Saxon Ranger is the first ship deliberately scuttled in the West Coast Dive Park as an artificial reef and wreck diving attraction.

The Saxon Ranger was built in England at Grimsby as a commercial fishing trawler and relocated to Australia in 1974 where it fished off Albany, Tasmania and Antarctica.

Local tourism officials decided to sink the vessel for scuba diving more than two years ago and financed the $450,000 project with federal and local government funding.

Tourism Minister Mark McGowan predicted the new wreck will boost dive-related tourism in the area.

"The artificial reef will further boost recreational diving tourism," said McGowan.