Creating Artifical Reefs ???

[Jewmaster]

Is there any online content that gives guidelines in regard to what can be used as artifical reef, how you go about getting permission or approval to creat strucure and have it deposited. Interest in trying to form a group of anglers/divers in the NT to source and make good artifical reefs for the harbour and other waterways, Have found the fishing on the artifical reefs to be excellent and helps to create a more complex enviorment for all species of marine life.

THE PIPE DREAM - To incorpate the local UNI and some steel wrekcers ect to create artifical reef, The Uni could provide welding for steel from there welding classes, The marine Biology group could recmomend structres and locations, the wreck could be named after the different parties that DONATE steel and structre. Basically involve many parts of the community to create artifical reef and maybe take some of the cost of creating reef out so the government isn;t so shy to make more reefs.

[Dr_Dan]

sounds like an interesting idea jewie. I'm not sure exactly what restrictions there are, but i'd be interested to find out. With the artifcial reefs, a lot of pressure of over fishing would be gone. I know that in cairns, one of the few places small boat anglers can target some quality offshore fish is the wreck behind double. It's just an old trawler that was sunk, but boy can it hold some fish. But unfortunately, it's the only place you can fish unless it's total glassout conditions, so it is begining to be over fished. If we could have a couple more of these along the coast, the fishing would be a lot more spread out.,

Interested to see any replies you get.

Dan

[Vern_Veitch]

I know that Darwin Harbour already has a number of artificial reefs. I was fishing one of them 17 years ago when I worked up there. Suggest you contact John Harrison at AFANT and he will be able to tell you who to talk to in their fisheries group.
I beleive concrete is benign if there is no "quick set" additive in it. I beleive it is a critical part of habitat restoration in areas that have been degraded by dredging or trawling. Let's look how we restore areas on land and apply that underwater instead of just walking away and hoping it will all return to pristine condition. The biggest loss is small isolate communities rather than large reef structures.
Just some thoughts.
Vern

[Kerry]

One thing that you'll come up against these days is liability, against just about everything and anything that might/could or just perhaps might occur.

Cheers, Kerry.

[SteveCan]

The artificial reef project here at Narrowneck on the Gold Coast using huge sandbags has been a bit of a success.

The aims of the reef were to 1- reduce sand erosion on the Northern beaches (successful) 2- Create a world class surfing break (unsuccessful) and 3 - Create a close inshore fish habitat for Rec fishers (successful) Mind you - the media focussed on the erosion and surfing issues - the rec's were pretty much left out of it.

Based on that they are doing a similar project at Palm beach - the money is being put in basically because of the property protection it provides. Erosion has been a major problem for Beachfront landowners and the sand build up from the reefs is just the ticket. The rec fishoes (if not the surfers) are licking their lips in anticipation.


Sorry Jewmaster if this is a bit off the original topic - but the concept may help your research.
http://www.narrowneck.com/

Cheers
Steve.

[jaybee]

That link was really interesting to read steve thanks, i checked out their message board and read this, will be good for the fishos eh. Hey Jewmaster, many years ago one of the local fishing clubs here in brisbane got the go ahead for an artificial reef it was near rouse and was marked with a yellow beacon, i am lead to beleive it has been covered over with sand now though. It was mainly tyres tied together.

Another ten sandbags weighing approximately 10 tons each will be dropped onto the existing Narrowneck artifical reef over the next few months bringing the total number of bags to just over 400.

[fatman]

I used to dive on the artificial reefs at Hymms beach (Jervis Bay). They were made using old tyres and the fish and marine life on them was very abundant. They were bolted together in long rows of about 20 long x 10 high x 4 deep. Whata top way of getting rid of old tyres.
cheers
FATMAN

[adrian]

hi guys
just an idea how about the use of old outdated bus bodies just the frames . only problem would be transport to the site . would beat tyres and pipes

Anzac

[Vern_Veitch]

In my view, old steam cleaned and stripped engine blocks from heavy machinery, old heavy farm machinery etc would be suitable. It should not be too big and there should be a network to allow fish to move between various depths and other surrounding habitat types.
Lets face it, koalas don't live where there are no gum trees. It makes sense that fish are exactly the same. More habitat = more fish.
It is not always this simple and some scientists argue that it only congregates fish and does not increase the total. I personally disagree with that as we have destroyed much of our nearshore habitat with sediment run-off, dredging and trawling, not to mention hard coastal development.
If we want to restore our fishery, we must first restore where they can live, and we all know that they are not everywhere - never were.
Vern

[SHANE]

hi all
i have been a great one for gabbing on to my friends about artifical reefs i would like to see the most of moreton bay done from one end to the other with those concrete blocks like at the gold coast
set them apart twenty or so meters in each direction
or just in large patches every mile or two

great fishing hard for any one to net ever again

also what affect would something like this have in the impoundments (e.g. the old buses idea)

Shane

[Maxg]

Fish stocks only increase if the things lay googies and get them fertilised. If the appropiate males/females are on a reef, artificial or otherwise it seems that at the right time, the usual thing occurs. The problem is to keep the breeders on the thing instead of on plates. Max

[clutter]

Its amazing how quickly reef life starts forming when an arty is constructed and how soon there are fish of catchable size living on them. Tractor tyres, old white goods and clay and concrete pipes of varying sizes provide good homes to many species. The cod especially like the pipes. The tractor tyres also seem to attract colonies of anchors and are good pickings for divers. This happens when the unwary boatie drops the anchor and it lands inside the tyre, it gives exceptional bite to the anchor but no matter which way you try to pull it up it catches the inner lip of the tyre.
Old sugar cane bins have been used on many a reef but are only a relatively short term prospect as they rust away pretty quickly as does anything of mainly bare metal. Placement is another key issue to look at. While it may be common sence it has been overlooked many times, that is don't put them too close to river and creek mouths as they are prone to being sanded over at various times of the year according to season.
as far as I'm concerned there should be more of them.

Cheers, Clutter.