Tag: artificial reef

Port Hedland community to get a new artificial reef!

Recfishwest is excited to announce plans to install a new artificial reef off the coast of Port Hedland in partnership with BHP.

A new addition to the State’s network of seven current artificial reefs, the new Port Hedland Reef will be in around 20m of water off the coast and create new fish habitat for popular recreational fishing species such as coral trout, Rankin cod, red emperor and Spanish mackerel.

The new reef will complement other initiatives for the avid Pilbara fishing town, including the fish aggregation devices (FADs – also installed in partnership with BHP) and the state-of-the-art Spoilbank Marina and will realise a long-held aspiration of the Port Hedland fishing community.

Recfishwest has partnered with DPIRD to install all seven of the State’s reefs with each of the reefs providing significant fishing opportunities, environmental benefits and an uptick in fishing tourism wherever they have been installed.

Recfishwest has been working with DPIRD to obtain the permit for the reef’s installation, which is currently going through rigorous commonwealth approvals, with installation of the reef likely towards the end of the year.

You can expect to see top quality species like coral trout, Rankin cod, red emperor and Spanish mackerel prowling the Port Hedland artificial reef! (King Reef image top left courtesy of Blue Media Exmouth)

Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said, “This reef will build on the success of the seven artificial reefs already on the ocean floor around the State, with many more in the pipeline to make our great fishing even better!

“The waters off Port Hedland are habitat-limited for a range of important recreational fishing species. So, this reef is an opportunity to create accessible and enjoyable fishing opportunities in an area proposed by the local community, providing massive benefit to local and visiting fishers in the region.

“It is great to see BHP recognising the value of recreational fishing for the local community and supporting this project to enhance fishing opportunities in the Pilbara.”

BHP WA Iron Ore Asset President Tim Day said he was excited to partner with Recfishwest to provide Port Hedland’s recreational fishing community with more opportunities to fish off the coast.

“Fishing and boating are an important part of the Pilbara lifestyle and while a lot of people have boats, it’s not always easy or safe to get out on the water. A new reef will be a game changer, providing more opportunities to throw in a line,” Mr Day said.

“What’s good for the Pilbara is good for BHP – and projects like this one will continue to ensure Port Hedland is a great place to live and work.”

In addition to supporting the reef and fish aggregating devices, BHP also made a $12.4 million contribution to the newly opened Spoilbank Marina project as part of its commitment to healthy environments and creating thriving communities.

While the first phase of the reef’s development is already funded, there are opportunities for other partners to join the project to make the artificial reef even bigger and better. So if this is of interest to you, reach out to us here and help us make fishing better across WA!

Exmouth fishing competition captures highlights King Reef’s rich marine biodiversity

Anglers got to sample Exmouth Gulf’s crowning glory as part of Exmouth Game Fishing Club’s (EGFC’s) ‘King of the Reef ‘competition, which saw a total of 20 different species caught at King Reef artificial reef!

More than 280 fish were entered in the four-month long competition, putting a bend in rods and a smile on the dial of almost 80 entrants.

EGFC ran the competition with the support of Recfishwest and Woodside Energy, enabling fishers to wet a line around King Reef and Exmouth’s surrounds, while contributing to science by entering their catches via the Track My Fish App.

Recfishwest’s Artificial Reefs Approvals Officer Eligh Quigley said, “The catch data from the fishing community is helping us not only better understand the species diversity around King Reef, but is also strengthening fishers’ sense of stewardship of the environment.

“With these great outcomes, the case for deploying more artificial reefs around WA in the future is further strengthened – it’s a win-win-win. So a big thanks to EGFC, Woodside Energy and all those who entered the competition.”

With a swag of impressive prizes up for grabs, almost four fish on average were entered per fisher into the Track My Fish app. Twenty-four fishers from outside of Exmouth entered – further showcasing the attractive intrastate and interstate appeal of the fishing on offer at the reef.

Ben Gryta is the proud new owner of a $2,000 Surge Orion kayak after catching the most species – 10 no less –  at King Reef!

Just some of the vibrant species landed at King Reef were blackspotted tuskfish, cobia, flounder, Moses perch, coral trout, pink-banded grubfish, and several different varieties of emperor, mackerel, snapper and cod – to name a few!

From underwater snap to brag mat! Coral trout were just one of the many species logged during the competition, with 20 different species landed by fishers at King Reef alone. Top photo credit: Blue Media Exmouth.

EGFC Events Manager Ben Knaggs was not surprised at the sheer variety of fish species making reels sizzle, based on the artificial reef’s rapid growth he’s witnessed over the past six years.

“This is the fastest growing artificial reef in Australia, and it has certainly flexed its species diversity muscle over the past four months,” said Ben. “The variety in the competitors was just as mixed as the captures too and we had 60 seniors, 18 juniors and two fishers from New South Wales getting in on the action.

“Given it’s only 6.4km North-East of the Exmouth Marina boat ramp, it’s become a go-to spot for fishers in smaller boats providing just as much action and that ‘lucky dip’ species variety excitement like what you would find further offshore. And the best part is the reef will only keep on naturally growing in size and numbers of fish.”

King of the Reef capture snapshot

Most species on King Reef – Ben Gryta (10)

Red emperor – 10 caught in total, largest fish: Ben Gryta (73.5cms)

Spangled emperor – 58 caught in total, largest fish: Richard Papa (60.5cms)

Coral trout – Eight caught in total, largest fish: John Morley (76cms)

Blue-lined emperor – 38 caught in total, largest fish: Brock Keymer (49cms)

Spanish mackerel – 12 caught in total, largest fish: Quade Kitson (138.5cms)

Trevally – 25 caught in total, largest fish: Ben Knaggs (108.5cms)

Charlie court cod – 115 caught in total, largest fish: Lola Gryta (38cms)

A big Recfishwest congratulations and thank you to all competitors who contributed to science by logging your catches into the Track My Fish app!

The King of the Reef Competition will be back again in 2025 with an even better list of prizes up for grabs, so keep an eye out for it early in the new year!

Find out more about our wide network of artificial reefs in WA here.

Tantalizing prospect of potential artificial reef for Esperance Jetty

Fishing for species like Samson fish, skippy and squid from Esperance Jetty is likely to go to the next level with the potential installation of multiple artificial reef modules around the popular structure next year.

The Shire of Esperance is partnering with Recfishwest to explore the delivery of an artificial reef system, which will be the first large-scale artificial reef in WA that is accessible to land-based anglers and everyone in the community.

Recfishwest Programs Manager James Florisson told the ABC, “It could comprise of between 50-200 scientifically designed, purpose-built reef modules, which will increase the amount and diversity of habitat for marine organisms, in turn creating more fish and even better and more accessible fishing.

“It will be important and iconic, because there’s not a large amount of land-based fishing access like this around town for kids on bikes or anyone with two-wheel drive cars and you won’t need a boat or specialised gear to fish it.”

Click on the image above to listen to James Florisson’s chat with ABC Esperance regarding the exciting prospect of artificial reef modules being deployed off Esperance Jetty!

James speaks from experience having grown up in Esperance cutting his angling teeth as a “jetty rat” fishing on the old Esperance Tanker Jetty and having provided input into the design of the fishing features on the new jetty.

He also helped install Esperance’s existing artificial reef “Cooper Reef” in 2019, which comprises of 128 modules, 5km south-east of Bandy Creek in 30m of water which has helped enhance fishing for species such as nannygai, queen snapper and skippy. To see some of the great fish species now thriving around Cooper Reef, click here.

The next step in the jetty artificial reef project will require attaining Commonwealth environmental approvals, which will take roughly 12 months to complete – the expectation is that installation of the reefs will take place following community and stakeholder consultation in late 2025.

James and Recfishwest applauds the Shire of Esperance for their appreciation of the importance of fishing to the local community and their investment in it.

As someone who grew up in Esperance fishing off the boat and land as often as he could, James is all for these artificial reef modules to be deployed around the Esperance Jetty to help boost the marine abundance and land-based fishing opportunities for locals.

Exmouth’s King of the Reef competition flexing its species diversity muscle

We’re nearly halfway through Exmouth’s King of the Reef competition, and we’ve already seen a fantastic variety of species caught and released at the artificial reef and surrounds. 

To celebrate the spectacular fishing on offer at Exmouth’s King Reef, Recfishwest teamed up with Woodside Energy and the Exmouth Game Fishing Club to deliver the ’King of the Reef’ competition, inviting fishers to wet a line around the reef and contribute to marine science by entering their catches via the Track My Fish App (more info here). 

In June alone, 74 fish were measured and logged by competitors, with many being released. Some of the species bending rods around the artificial reef included spangled emperor, golden trevally, blue-lined emperor, Charlie Court and Spanish mackerel – just to name a few!    

The four-month-long competition runs to the end of September, so if you haven’t entered yet there is still plenty of time to have a crack at the $15,000 worth of prizes on offer! 

Given the abundance of species that are known to make reels sing around King Reef, the ‘Most Species Caught on King Reef’ major prize category has certainly got anglers buzzing to get out there! The fisher who catches the most species in this category (a minimum of 10 different species must be logged) will claim the top prize of an awesome $2,000 Surge Orion fishing kayak! 

The King of the Reef competition is ramping up and some top-quality catches are being entered into the Track My Fish app, including coral trout and red emperor.

It’s not just adults getting in on the action either, there is a competition category for young fishers aged 16/under for whoever catches the longest and mystery length Charlie Court each month. The longest overall eligible Charlie Court entry will take home a $400 Tackle World Exmouth gear pack! 

“The longest Charlie category for the kids has surprisingly been the most popular category so far!” said Recfishwest’s Artificial Reefs Officer Eligh Quigley. “It is great to see young anglers targeting an alternative species which is plentiful in the region.” 

“The catch data from the community is helping us not only better understand the species diversity around King Reef, but is also strengthening the case for more artificial reefs to be deployed around WA in the future, so get out there and have a crack!”  

Click here to see the competition’s prize categories!  

For more info on the competition and to see updates on catches, make sure you follow the Exmouth Game Fishing Club Facebook page and for the best advice on how to fish King Reef, check out the top tips from Exmouth Tackle & Camping’s Steve Riley in the video below! 

In 2018, a collaboration between Recfishwest, the Exmouth community and other stakeholders resulted in King Reef – the first integrated artificial reef to be deployed in the southern hemisphere. King Reef involved repurposing decommissioned steel buoys from BHP’s Griffin Field augmented with purpose-built concrete modules. 

With ongoing support from Woodside, King Reef has become a biodiversity hotspot, offering new fishing opportunities for locals and visitors to Exmouth while providing major ecological benefits.  

King of the Reef crown and $15k up for grabs in Exmouth Fishing for Science comp!

To celebrate the spectacular fishing on offer at Exmouth’s King Reef, Recfishwest is teaming up with Woodside Energy and the Exmouth Game Fishing Club to deliver the ’King of the Reef’ Fishing for Science competition!

The four-month-long comp invites fishers to fish around the King Reef artificial reef system and contribute to science by entering their catches via the Track My Fish App (more info here).

All entrants will be in the running for a swag of cracking fishing prizes valued at $15,000!

For more info on the King of the Reef competition check out the details below and make sure you enter the competition by clicking here!

A myriad of species 

The competition features overall, monthly and mystery length prizes for the myriad of species commonly found around King Reef such as red emperor, coral trout, Spanish mackerel, trevally and many others – all you have to do is catch them, measure them, then log the data into the App!

While entrants are not limited to fishing at King Reef, a Surge Orion fishing kayak valued at $2,000 is up for grabs for the most species caught at the reef over the competition period!

Want the best fishing tips for King Reef? Check out the amazing advice from Exmouth Tackle & Camping’s Steve Riley in the video below!

Exmouth Game Fishing Club President Ben Knaggs said, “We’re particularly happy to see so many family groups entering and competing and we’ve had kids as young as three years old already reporting solid captures.

“The King of the Reef competition also has the added benefit of providing some important catch data to Recfishwest on the wide variety of species that call this reef system home.

“The catch data submitted by competitors will help strengthen the case for more of these artificial reefs to be deployed around WA in the future.”

In 2018, a collaboration between Recfishwest, the Exmouth community and other stakeholders resulted in King Reef – the first integrated artificial reef to be deployed in the southern hemisphere. King Reef involved repurposing decommissioned steel buoys from BHP’s Griffin Field augmented with purpose-built concrete modules.

With ongoing support from Woodside, King Reef has become a biodiversity hotspot, offering new fishing opportunities and major ecological benefits. Watch the recent under water footage of King Reef captured by Blue Media Exmouth in the video below, which showcases the reef’s rapid development and biodiversity benefits!

COMPETITION DETAILS: 

SPECIES AND PRIZE DETAILS 

The past, present and future of WA’s artificial reefs and Recfishwest’s role!

Ever wanted to know the history of how artificial reefs became so successful around the world and the future reefs set to make a splash off our coastline?  

Recfishwest’s Programs Manager James Florisson also spoke with ABC Kimberley/Pilbara on the artificial reefs planned to be placed off the Broome and Carnarvon coasts along with FADs in our northern waters! Catch James’ radio interview by watching the video below!

Mark Pagano (DPIRD’s Aquatic Resource Management) also spoke to 6PR’s Glen Jakovich on artificial reef developments in the pipeline across WA, why certain reef materials are more productive, what species fishers can expect to catch and much more! You can catch Mark’s chat by clicking here. 

Want to know more about how Recfishwest is driving artificial reef deployments around WA? Click here.  

 

Happy 5th anniversary to Exmouth’s King Reef – a thriving fish habitat just five years after placement on the seabed

Five years ago, all that was there was the barren sandy seabed. 

Today, the area is teeming with vibrant colour, exotic coral and hundreds of marine species, including an array of fish species like trevally, coral trout, cod and mangrove jack.  

What has caused this dramatic transformation? The deployment of the six large, repurposed steel structures and nearly 50 concrete purpose-built modules that makes up King Reef – the fastest developing artificial reef in Australia! 

This latest spectacular video footage by underwater photographer Violeta J. Brosig from Blue Media Exmouth captures the rich biodiversity that has grown on the reef and seen the number of fish species observed on the reef rise to more than 100.  

In 2018, a collaboration between Recfishwest, the Exmouth local community, DPIRD, BHP, NERA, Subcon and Curtin University resulted in King Reef – the first integrated artificial reef deployed in the southern hemisphere covering an area of 27,000m³ – roughly the area of five footy ovals.  

With ongoing support from Woodside Energy, the reef has rapidly transformed the area from an underwater desert into a marine oasis with coral trout, bluebone, spangled emperor, red emperor, mangrove jack, cod, Spanish mackerel and even sailfish seen patrolling around the reef.  

An array of species are now commonly sighted by locals and tourists, spicing up the fishing opportunities and species diversity throughout the Gulf. 

Exmouth Tackle and Camping owner Steve Riley, who was instrumental in turning vision of a repurposed reef in Exmouth Gulf into a reality, said it provides great fishing for fishers in small boats.  

“King Reef is a very easy and accessible spot to fish and it’s brimming with life, so it’s perfect for small boat owners to get out for a fish,” he said.  

“Our record time for reaching the reef, having a troll and having two Spanish mackerel in the boat is seven minutes, that’s how good the fishing has become there!  

“Red emperor, amberjack and Rankin cod were barely reported at all throughout Exmouth Gulf before King Reef’s deployment, now these species are trickling outwards from the structure in great numbers and snorkelers have reported seeing red emperor in only four metres of water within the Gulf. It’s an unexpected, but welcome surprise.”   

Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said, “King Reef is a perfect example of how repurposed structures like these can quickly create productive, abundant underwater habitats. It is a huge credit to the Exmouth community and all our partners who have helped bring this dynamic reef system to life. 

“Deploying habitat enhancement structures like King Reef is an internationally recognised and scientifically proven method to increase the productivity of our oceans. We are looking forward to seeing more of the structures creating new vibrant marine habitat like this in other parts of WA in the near future.” 

Check out more stunning imagery captured by Blue Media Exmouth below, showing the thriving fish and coral reef communities!  

Land-based fishing access for Port Hedland goes to the next level – literally!

Thanks to an innovative jetty design, Port Hedland’s new land-based fishing platform will adapt perfectly to the ever-changing conditions, so land-based fishers won’t have to!

What’s more, the Pilbara Ports Authority (PPA) has safely deployed six mangrove jack, cod and coral trout-attracting reef balls, donated by Rio Tinto, under the smart-design jetty to further enhance fishing opportunities.

PPA placed fishing considerations at the fore of its ongoing construction of the Spoilbank Marina, with better flexibility to fish during Port Hedland’s large tidal swings implemented into the jetty’s design and build.

Given the difference between the low and high tide mark in Port Hedland is frequently around six metres, PPA constructed two levels on the platform that allows fishers the freedom to wet a line either during the low or high tide mark, with wheelchair accessibility included.

Drawing on our artificial reef expertise, Recfishwest assisted PPA in the configuration of the six reef balls, providing tips on how to maximise the effectiveness of the reef modules.

Six reef balls have been safely positioned under the innovative dual-level fishing platform and slightly off to either side to create an inviting habitat for fish and boost the abundance in species for land-based anglers.

The pylons of the jetty themselves will help provide shelter and structure for the settlement of marine flora, algae, crustaceans and bait fish, further encouraging multiple species that fishers love to target to congregate and move between the pylons and individual reef structures.

We have also advised PPA on deploying additional reef ball modules and other reef structures around the marina parallel to the breakwall on the inside of the marina.

By providing other areas of habitat enhancement within the marina, this will help reduce overcrowding on the fishing jetty upon its completion, while also increasing catches of sought-after species.

An artist’s impression of the Spoilbank Marina fishing platform being constructed by the Pilbara Ports Authority. The platform will give recreational fishers improved access to fishing the fluctuating low or high-tide mark in Port Hedland.

Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said, “It’s great to see that the Pilbara Ports Authority have taken the interests of recreational fishers to heart in designing this marina and fishing platform – we’d like to see other Ports Authorities’ follow this example providing better access for land-based fishers.”

“Not only does the design take advantage of the fluctuating tides in this region, but the modules positioned in the marina will eventually house a wide range of species the community loves to catch.”

It’s good news for Port Hedland’s boat fishers too in the $187.5 million construction of the Spoilbank Marina project, funded by the State Government, Town of Port Hedland and BHP.

“Once complete, the marina will feature a four-lane boat ramp, 22 boat pens, fish cleaning stations and barbecue facilities,” said Pilbara Ports Authority General Manager Engineering and Infrastructure, Charles Kretzmann.

“The Spoilbank Marina will improve safe access to deep water by providing a separate entrance channel for recreational boaters and fishers to use away from large commercial bulk carriers navigating in and out of the port,” added Charles.

Recfishwest will continue to consult with PPA on the ongoing Spoilbank Marina construction, which is expected to be operational by late 2023, with landside completion expected in early 2024.

If you wish to keep up to date on the Spoilbank Marina project, check out the Spoilbank Marina Facebook Page.

Port Hedland has always been an attractive land-based fishing destination for many anglers given the wide range of species on offer and the new Spoilbank Marina development by the Pilbara Ports Authority aims to enhance fishing accessibility in this region.

 

Ensuring West Aussie fishers harness the potential fishing benefits of offshore wind energy projects

Recfishwest remains vigilant in ensuring recfishers are consulted with and have their say on plans to develop, construct and operate large-scale offshore wind energy (OWE) projects in WA, both in state and commonwealth waters.  

There are currently several OWE project proposals in the pipeline off our WA coast, with our South-West, Metro and Mid-West regions the likely locations. The wind turbines that would make up these projects could potentially become a defacto new network of artificial reefs – with similar structures in other parts of the world effectively creating new fish habitats and fishing opportunities.  

For this to happen, recfishers would need to be allowed access to the structures – but with no overarching regulatory framework in place for OWEs, there are concerns exclusion zones might be implemented around the structures, preventing fishing access.  

One of the proposed WA projects – The Leeuwin Offshore Windfarm – would have up to 200 wind turbines operating 24 hours per day, 365 days per year, for up to 50 years. The proposed windfarm would be situated around 15km off the coast between Preston Beach and Binningup. 

The planned Leeuwin Offshore Windfarm location (left) and an idea of what we could potentially see of our South-West coastline (right) Image: Copenhagen Energy.

Recfishwest acknowledges and supports the need for renewable energy production. In pursuit of The Western Australian Government’s aspirations for net zero emissions by 2050, offshore wind energy (OWE) is becoming an attractive proposition.  

Our south-west coastline boasts high wind speeds, favourable water depths, low risk of cyclones and good access to existing port infrastructure – all positive attributes for WA’s growing demand for green energy.    

Winds at sea reach a higher speed and are more constant than wind on land because there are no barriers. To harness this energy, the wind turbines are seated on giant towers installed on the seabed in depths of up to 60 metres or on floating structures anchored to the bottom in deeper waters. 

While it has been proven overseas that recreational fishing can be largely compatible with offshore wind energy projects, it must be a recognised factor and key value when planning, designing, constructing and operating any offshore wind farm projects off the WA coastline.   

Recfishwest will only support OWE projects that improve recreational fishing experiences with no net loss of amenity. As a matter of priority, the decision-makers behind these OWE projects must provide clarity around maintaining fishing access and ensure recreational fishers are consulted in the planning and construction processes. 

From a fishing perspective, OWE projects can act as artificial reefs, potentially enhancing marine abundance in the area through the provision of increased habitat and structure availability.  

Over time, windfarm pylons can potentially lead to an improvement in marine abundance due to the structures acting as artificial reefs, although their construction can cause other issues. Image: Copenhagen Energy.

However, these projects also have the potential to adversely impact environmental and social values through habitat damage and implementation of exclusion zones, along with displacement and concentrations of commercial fishing efforts.  

West Aussie recfishers deserve to be able to fish these structures, without the construction potentially having negative impacts on the fishing spots they already cherish.   

“It is crucially important that any OWE projects should avoid important habitats such as spawning areas and nursery areas, as well as popular fishing locations,” said Recfishwest Operations Lead Matt Gillett.   

“While the possibility of having potentially hundreds of turbine structures in our waters acting as artificial reefs sounds great to keen fishers, this benefit is pointless if we don’t have close accessibility to fish them. We’ve seen this respect given to recfishers overseas and this is what we want locked in if these projects are to proceed.”  

Before development and planning is confirmed, Recfishwest will consult frequently with recreational and professional fishing groups to ensure boating and fishing activities are not negatively impacted.    

To find out more about Recfishwest’s stance on OWE, please click here