Artificial Reefs

Be interested to see how these progress. Should be an annual thing I reckon where Recreational Fishing Licence money supports the establishment of two new reefs each year in different regions of WA.

www.news.com.au/national/was-artificial-reef-trial-on-track/story-fndo4e3y-1226561001515

 

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Would love to see this done

Thu, 2013-01-24 17:31

Would love to see this done in the Perth Metro area - however you will notice most of the funding is from the Royalties for Regions program. Having said that because these will work, we have a larger chance of seeing something like this done in the metro area.

Ian Macca's picture

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Just seen this on GWN news

Thu, 2013-01-24 18:30

Just seen this on GWN news

 

30 off Bunbury and 30 off dunsborough. Aprox 5kms off shore about 10mts appart they said!


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Just The start

Thu, 2013-01-24 18:37

They've got to prove first that these reefs produce fish and not just act as aggregation devices but the Koreans have had a 50% increase in their fish stocks since using these types of reefs so fingers crossed. Interesting to note that when the korean divers looked for the locations to put them said that they were suprised at the large ammount of unproductive territory in the Geo. Bay. Deserts on land and deserts in the ocean. 

Faulkner Family's picture

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great idea but at 580 tonnes

Thu, 2013-01-24 18:57

great idea but at 580 tonnes on concrete it going to be a big task.

after a while you could only just imagine the jigs and other terminal will be collected on them.

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sea-kem's picture

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 Bit like the Key Biscane

Thu, 2013-01-24 22:05

 Bit like the Key Biscane Russ. I reckon these can only be a good thing.

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 news reports keep calling

Thu, 2013-01-24 21:59

 news reports keep calling these WA's 1st artificial reefs, but Cables is an artificial reef.  It drives me nuts sloppy journos.

Buz's picture

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Also the ancient Tyre

Thu, 2013-01-24 22:07

Also the ancient Tyre Artificial Reef off Dunsborough put in eons ago :)

Think alot of it has broken apart or been covered by sand now though?

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Same Site Buz

Fri, 2013-01-25 02:53

Originally Buz we were trying to get them in on the old scallop ground Busso. side of cape naturaliste then it was decided it would be a lot easier to get the necessary approvals , DPI, EPA etc. and you still need federal approval even though you're in state waters and if at any time the greenies decided to put a blocking action on it they can tie things up for years so even though the old tyre reef is probably not the best site simply because they work best where there is a strong current the approval had already been made back in 1986 for the tyre reef and just makes things so much easier. It's much the same at Bunbury end where that stuck them close to the Lena wreck. When Norman Moore says the first artificial reef he means the first of their kind in Geo. Bay. I should mention that Mark Pagano of fisheries who had the job of sorting through the approval process and getting them in place has done a brilliant job, a task of huge proportions. The days of sticking anything in the ocean are long gone and only purpose built structures only get approved these days. There were also some reef balls put in up Mandurah way a few years back but we can't find any data exactly where so if you have any info. it would be appreciated just so if the fisho's up there want these type of reefs in the future. 

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Waiting

Fri, 2013-01-25 08:29

We have a burnt out, stripped, ready to go former trawler, the Fitzroy, just waiting to be taken out and sunk. It has been ready to go for years but no one is willing to give it the go ahead.

 

 

Excuses include, insurance if some one gets caught on it while diving, guarantees that it will not move in the advent of a cyclone, blah , blah, blah, you name it. It is a real pain when the Lady Joyce wreck is actually 2 boats, one being dragged 10nm to put it on top of a smaller on and tyre reefs dropped in the area round them. As those who know Carnarvon , the sea bed for miles around is flat with very little reef that sticks up from the mud or sandy bottom making the 30nm trip to the islands the norm not the exception. Another wreck would be a distinct boost for the small boat brigade if only some one would bite the bullet and say go ahead.

sea-kem's picture

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 What about that excavator

Fri, 2013-01-25 09:26

 What about that excavator John? that must be attracting some fish by now lol or has it gone?

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carnarvonite's picture

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Shore based

Fri, 2013-01-25 14:52

We''ll call that one a artificial reef for shore based anglers. Its still there and starting to attract small fish in its lee during tide changes.

 

They had a got at digging it out with another excavator and succeeded in getting the hydraulic drives off to make it easier to tow. Sadly the excavator didn''t have enough grunt so it sat waiting for the next springs tides.

 

They hooked a bloody great winch on it and left it overnight to see if they could break the suction but again no luck so I have no idea when or how the next attempt is going to happen.

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Contact Mark Pagano carnarvonite

Fri, 2013-01-25 08:56

All future artificial reefs have to go across his desk for approval . I just love doing this, his phone no.94827368  mob- no I wont that far.

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Thanks to everyone

Fri, 2013-01-25 10:11

Thanks to everyone involved. It is a big achievement that everyone will benifit from.

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Esperance

Fri, 2013-01-25 13:26

 Has them,they were made out of old tyres n concreted to keep em down,worked a treat and the divers love it,keeps em away from the tanker jetty!so we could all fish without worring about them!it alsp bought other fish species to jetty!

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Does anyone on this site

Fri, 2013-01-25 23:25

Does anyone on this site realise these structures will be made overseas when a number of local companys could have done it for half the price!

Yes the Bunbury structure will be north of the Lena Wreck but it will be a crowded site for the novice anglers. I will fish it when all pretend anglers are hugging their lovely pillows but in reality Bunbury fishing is a desert that takes years of exploration to master because it is the smallest of structure that can hold fish. You just gotta know how to read the ground!

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carnarvonite's picture

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Australind

Sat, 2013-01-26 08:26

The structures are being cast in Australind by an Ozzie company under tender from the South Korean mob who are doing it.

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It's good to know some of the

Sun, 2013-01-27 07:51

It's good to know some of the work has come back to a local company carnarvonite but still seems silly the job is awarded to a South Korean mob then work is sub contracted back.

Surely you would think there are companys here with the skills to do the whole work.

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 Been involved with this a

Sat, 2013-01-26 07:52

 Been involved with this a bit BJ (recfish came out on my tub to film the abc segment) but I thought Ellen indicated in her update emails that it was goin to be a local production? I could very well be wrong though. The whole sea grass issue for Bunbury being a federal problem has got to piss you guys off also??

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It sure does Liam, I'll just

Sun, 2013-01-27 07:54

It sure does Liam, I'll just have to move further south and put pressure on your fishing grounds!

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Ian Macca's picture

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Sat, 2013-01-26 10:13

 

 

 

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Heard Norman Moore

Sat, 2013-01-26 14:26

Norman Moore was on ABC regional Radio on fri.talking about these reefs but something he said was of interest. He said if the reefs perform the way they're supposed too it wont be long before they're all along our coastline. Thats a big call for a guy who retires in march.

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It is a great idea but at

Sat, 2013-01-26 15:31

It is a great idea but at what cost? Im certain it will work but isnt that a rediculously complex casting for its purpose?

There is a myriad of readily available items which could fulfill the same purpose for a hundredth of the price.

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Lamby's picture

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Rob that casting has a lot to

Sat, 2013-01-26 16:16

Rob that casting has a lot to do with currents & creating its own ecosystem from bait fish to the predatory fish. If it wasn't the case the local supermarkets would have a shit load of trolleys missing!! Lol

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Yes, they apparently vary the

Mon, 2013-01-28 08:28

Yes, they apparently vary the design for the conditions.

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Always At A Cost Rob H

Sat, 2013-01-26 16:30

A few years ago I tried to get some concrete blocks into Geo. Bay and just for the research beforehand to find suitable ocean floor to put them on was going to cost over $ 50.000.00 Then some guy in Tasmania who specialises in designing artificial reefs wanted another $24.000.00 to sit at a computer and come up with something and then i came to the realisation that even though I was putting my time in for no financial gain , there was other people putting their hands out fully realising that without their expertise these projects go nowhere and the whole thing eventually died in the arse. this time fiusheries are using their expertise but they still had to pay Korean divers at the going rate of $1000.00 per hour and this whole project has to be thoroughly researched for years and all that funding has to provided up front as part of the whole cost so when you break it down ,the construction phase is probably not all that expensive and then these large structures still need to be transported and placed in the ocean and again another cost that can't be avoided. All I do know is the original funding was for only 2.1mill. and then it become apparent that it couldn't be done for that so  they had to seek extra funds and thanks to Mark Pagano that was achieved to take it up to $2.4 mill. 

Buz's picture

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Wonder if you could get

Sun, 2013-01-27 08:41

Wonder if you could get around the Whole 'Artifical Reef' tag line and red tape, by installing works of 'Art' underwater instead. Bit more interesting to look at too :)

Eg. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0OXACplKXo

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Thought about that buz.

Sun, 2013-01-27 11:23

At one stage we wanted to build an underwater playground on the end of the Busso. jetty for the divers to enjoy and at the same time assist in fish production. Then the state Govt. acting on the advice of the Busselton City Council made it into a sanctuary zone and everyone immediatly lost interest and you'll also notice that even though this whole artificial reef thing originated in Busselton none have been sited there because of the atitude of a green council that thinks insulting fishermen with some of their comments is acceptable practice. Busselton is dying a death by a thousand cuts from this council and the direction they've taken but people keep electing them so best stay out of the way and let the fools continue and perhaps one day the penny will drop and they'll be seen for exactly what they are" Ignorant Morons "

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thats awesome buz

Sun, 2013-01-27 11:51

would make for an interesting dive!

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