New Moreton Bay reefs aim to create fishing playgrounds for anglers

by Jeni Bone on 14 Sep 2011 The Queensland Government has made good on its 2009 election promise and built the last of six artificial reefs in Moreton Bay, Brisbane and down to the Gold Coast.

The final reefs, made of 17 tonne-concrete cubes, were sunk in waters off South Stradbroke Island, and north of Moreton Island over three days this month. Premier Anna Bligh promised the $2million reef project to compensate recreational fishermen after turning 16 per cent of Moreton Bay into Green zones, where fishing is prohibited.

The now six artificial reefs in Moreton Bay Marine Park cost $2 million to establish. The program has been delivered by the Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM).

The North Moreton Artificial Reef is about 3Nm off the northern tip of Moreton Island, was made up of 25 fish boxes at a depth of 14m and is deep enough for spearfishermen.

Other artificial reefs are at Wild Banks, about 12Nm east of Bribie Island; the Harry Atkinson Artificial Reef, about 12Nm west of Amity Point; West Peel about 3Nm off Peel Island and the East Coochie Reef.

Environment Minister Vicki Darling said the artificial reefs would allow recreational fishing and ensure fish in the Green zones were protected.

'This is about striking the right balance between the environment and fishermen and divers and also the tourism industry,' Ms Darling said. 'It also ensures this delicate ecosystem is protected for future generations. These reefs complement our Green Zones which are protecting 16 per cent of the Bay.'

Cleveland MP, Mark Robinson, who is also the Shadow Minister for Fisheries and Marine Infrastructure is not so enthusiastic about the man-made structures, saying the artificial reefs were not fair compensation for fishermen who had lost fishing grounds when parts of the bay were rezoned.

'I believe the government ran out of money for this project and just tossed 20 cubes around a large area and called it a reef.'


For more about the locations and maps of the six artificial reefs visit http://www. derm.qld.gov.au


Reef materials

Reef balls
A reef ball is actually not a ball, rather a hemispherical hollow concrete unit invented over 15 years ago in the United States of America. Marine life can take advantage of the hollow interior, gaining access via holes in the structure. The size and number of holes can easily be varied depending upon the reef’s application.
Its design has evolved over many years of trials, fine tuning and input from engineers and scientists.

Key features
• Aesthetically pleasing—in a very short period they take on a natural rock/bommie appearance.
• Highly stable—specifically engineered to stay upright and withstand waves and currents.
• Durable in the marine environment—marine concrete mix is engineered to last for several hundred years in sea water.
• pH adjusted surface—special concrete mix and construction technique is used to ensure rapid colonisation.
• Maximum productivity—the dome shape, holes, internal void and rough texture mimic natural reefs and maximise species richness.

Fish caves
'Fish caves' are structures that were purpose-built to withstand the local conditions at the Wild Banks site. They are fabricated from steel and stand 11 m high, 11 m wide and weight 14.4 T.
The 'fish caves' were transported to the Wild Banks site by barge where they were lowered to the sea floor using a large crane.

Fish boxes
A 'fish box' is a hollow, 4m3, 17 T cube with a cross brace made from re-enforced concrete. The 'fish boxes' were created from moulds with the concrete requiring 28 days to reach full strength. 25 'fish boxes' were constructed to create the North Moreton Artificial Reef and another 20 were created for the South Stradbroke site. The 'fish boxes' were deployed using the same floatation release system used for the deployment of the 'fish caves'.