How good are artifical reefs ?

[Lucky_Phill]

https://www.facebook.com/ausfishagne...ibextid=YxdKMJ

Just 3 k's offshore.

Come on Fisheries Queensland, get this happening here

LP

[tunaticer]

This particular reef works well for 2 reasons.
It is geographically located in an area that supports high growth rates and marine inhabitants.
It was constructed from already "seasoned" members that have spent more than a decade underwater....a huge step forward for a new reef development.

In saying that however I do strongly support large artificial reefs to be installed.
One singular reef that should be adopted and put into place is the western boundary of the trawler zone in Moreton Bay.....from Skirmish point to Cleveland or further south. It does not need to be wide or tall but it does need to be almost continuous (shipping and navigational channels excepted)to give the fish a sub marine highway to breed along.

[chris69]

We had a good ship for a wreck in moreton bay or out side moreton island but it went further north for those that dive all the old pilons from the hornibrook highway went to the southen end of the bay for those people down there it would be good to have some on the northen end of the bay that very small bill turner reef is to small yes it would be great but whos going to benifit those people not those people.

I know thing cost but theres a lot of thigs that cost nothing that will attrack fish.

[tunaticer]

Bill Turner reef is in a silly location nestled amongst natural reefs.
It would have been far better off being located about 500m south east of Otter Rock in about 6m of water where the nearest reef is Otter Rock.

If you are going to create new habitat, put it where new habitat is needed.

[Lucky_Phill]

Chris and Jack.

I have good working knowledge of artificial reef systems, in that I sat on the FQ working group that oversaw some deployments in SEQ.

Firstly, ship wrecks are not good value. We could get them at minimal cost, but the cleaning up and deployment costs are outrageous. Further, for that cost, you only get a small area of reef.

Deploying artificial reefs adjacent to natural reefs are really beneficial to that habitat as there is already an ecosystem in place and it will only enhance that system.

Obviously, the more arti reefs deployed, the better the whole fishery becomes.

In a lot of Asian countries, their governments are spending millions on arti reefs for not only commercial purposes, but recreational as well.

Fisheries Queensland current fishery management strategies are hopeless, IMO. They are limited in their scope and really do SFA to expand the fishery to sustainable.

Humans have destroyed massive amounts of habitat, without replenishing it and that right there is the problem. bag limits, size limits, closed seasons, static green zones are all band-aids on a cancer. It is NOT working.

LP

[tunaticer]

There are hundreds of worn out concrete agitator bowls around that would require nearly zero cleanup to be suitable for artificial reefs...2.2m diameter x about 4.5m long...unbolt the hatches and there are 3 entrances.
Most can not go to steel recyclers because they are too encrusted in concrete internally.

[Lucky_Phill]

There are hundreds of worn out concrete agitator bowls around that would require nearly zero cleanup to be suitable for artificial reefs...2.2m diameter x about 4.5m long...unbolt the hatches and there are 3 entrances.
Most can not go to steel recyclers because they are too encrusted in concrete internally.

Yes, these are called " materials of opportunity ", as they have been offered, free, to arti reef working groups. Similar, we have hundreds of steel light poles ( the ones used on highways ) as well as the old Hornibrook bridge concrete pylons.

Let me be very very clear on this as I WAS in the meeting when the AMCS ( Australian Marine Conservation Society ) poo poo'd this as they seen this as " dumping rubbish into the ocean ".

All others in the room were flabbergasted, but......... BUT...... the ALP needed the Green Votes to win an election and that opportunity to have hundreds or tons of materials for artificial reefs left to rot in landfill.

The AMCS said if we are to deploy arti reefs, they must be designed and made, then deployed. Talk about a waste of money and opportunity.

One of the biggest expenses in arti reefs is the actual deployment, via a dedicated barge. I told FQ and at the time, National Parks, that they should invest / buy a barge. This idea again was poo poo'd and now we see it costing hundreds of thousands of dollars to hire a barge to drop some manufacturered concrete domes into Moreton Bay.

The whole artificial reef management and deployment has been a farce and a huge waste of taxpayers money, mainly because of political interference and the bloody mindedness of the AMCS and other green groups.

This smacks of the problems of bush fires where green groups stopped back burning and construction of fire trails.

You really want to know why we are falling far behind in terms of artificial reefs and a sustainable fishery....... ?



LP

[upstart]

Excellent topic, especially for here in NQ. Anyone who's familiar with the Yongala wreck knows how successful an artificial reef can be for providing habitat for fish life in an otherwise fairly barren location. If they deployed dozens of man made or repurposed 'materials opportunity' arties in the massive empty paddock between the coast and the GBR then many boats wouldn't bother to travel to the reef when you could get great fishing so much closer. It beggars belief that the Greens oppose it.

[chris69]

The old amo bardge at the end of the mile leads held lots of snapper for many decades , now just flat on the sea floor and the sulphur in the amo never bothered the sea life,the cost for these pods are cheap as are the oyster shells more of them can be put out and rocks dont need to be cleaned olny dumped but its allways on the southen end of the bay the cages the other side of spirtfire banks well you only get one or two boats on a cage same as bill turner reef.

As much as id like more artificial reefs put out they need to stream line things i think theres a bit to much science involved the old wrecks and reefs had not imput from university educated people they were just from bad stroms or leaky boats and natural evolving reefs.

I do realize you put your own time into the scheme to represent us fishos and i can see your frustration witht the polititions but theres got to be a better way Phil.