Saving Seafood

North Carolina Sees Big Returns in Coastal Habitat Programs

April 28, 2016 — RALEIGH, N.C. — Results of a study published Tuesday show that coastal habitat enhancement programs managed by the state fisheries agency provide $4 in benefits for every $1 invested in the coastal region.

The Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership contracted with RTI International to study the benefits and costs of three programs under the state Division of Marine Fisheries: the Shellfish Rehabilitation Program, Oyster Sanctuary Program and Artificial Reef Program. The study focused on how these programs benefit and contribute to communities in the region.

According to the report, the programs generate economic benefits in numerous categories. Between 2010 and 2015, with just over $20 million in government and private investments, North Carolina restoration and habitat enhancement activ­ities supported over 500 acres of habitat and provided benefits that included commercial fishing, shellfish harvesting, recreational fishing, water quality improvement and shoreline stabilization. Cost-benefit analysis showed returns that ranged from $2 to more than $12 for every dollar invested.

Read the full story at The Fishing Wire

Sunken sanctuary: Former Omega Protein WWII-era vessel becomes artificial reef

December 15, 2015 — For much of the last decade, the MV Shearwater caught menhaden by the ton but in its new life, as part of the Del-Jersey-Land reef 26-miles off the coast, it will become a fish habitat and diving destination in the state’s artificial reef program.

The ship didn’t go easy into the deep last week. The stern sank first and the ship started to turn leaving just the bow out of the water. It took about six hours to fully sink after the seacocks opened and the interior compartments flooded.

The 176-foot-long vessel went down in 120 feet of water. It lays about one-half nautical mile from the 568-foot long USS Arthur W. Radford, a former Navy destroyer. The Radford was sunk at the artificial reef site in 2011 and has become a popular destination for divers and anglers.

“About three weeks ago, a state-record bluefish was caught there,” said Jeff Tinsman, the state artificial reef coordinator.

“These old freighters make ideal reefs because of the voids and cavities in them – they’re really the perfect sanctuary for fish,” Tinsman said. “But not long after this ship sinks, the fish will start to come ‘outside’ it to feed. Within a few weeks, blue mussels, sponges, barnacles and soft corals will attach themselves to the structure, and in about a year, the reef will be fully productive, for fish and fishermen alike.”

Read the full story at Delaware Online