New artificial reef for Moruya Heads
by Recreational Fishing Alliance of NSW 1 Jan 2022 23:33 UTC
Steel tower modules for artificial reefs in NSW © NSW DPI
The Eurobodalla region gets a boost for recreational fishers in the form of over 100 tonnes of complex designed artificial reef being strategically placed on the seabed about 3.5km north-east of Moruya Heads.
This is the ninth offshore artificial reef to be installed across NSW over the past decade. These complex super structures have been are being constructed using funds from the NSW Government's Recreational Fishing Trust, as well as funding from the Regional Growth - Environment and Tourism Fund.
The reef comprises of two steel tower modules, standing 11.7 metres tall with a footprint of 12.8 x 12.8 metres and built to withstand extreme storm events.
SMC Marine has been responsible for the design, construction and deployment of the reef. The project has supported 30 local jobs and their project team worked tirelessly over the past 12 months to deliver the project.
Popular bait species such as Yellowtail, Slimy Mackerel, Arrow Squid and Southern Calamari commonly take up residence on new artificial reefs within only a few months while other recreational fish species like Kingfish, Snapper and Trevally should become available on the reef soon thereafter.
Artificial reefs are funded by the NSW Recreational Fishing Trusts.