Saving Seafood

NOAA Fisheries Announces Gear and Harvest Limits at Artificial Reef Sites in the South Atlantic Region

April 7, 2021 — NOAA Fisheries announces the final rule for Regulatory Amendment 34 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region. The final rule will create 34 special management zones around artificial reefs off North Carolina and South Carolina.

There will be additional gear and harvest restrictions within the proposed special management zones. The purpose of the gear restrictions is to reduce adverse effects to federally managed species at these sites.

WHEN THIS RULE WILL TAKE EFFECT:

Regulations will be effective May 3, 2021.

SUMMARY OF CHANGES:

  • The final rule will create special management zones around select artificial reef sites off North Carolina (30) and off South Carolina (4).
  • The zones range in size from 0.041 to 1.01 square miles.
  • Harvest of snapper-grouper species will only be allowed with handline, rod and reel, and spear in these zones. Therefore, this action will prohibit the use of bandit reel, powerhead, pot, and longline gear at these sites.
  • In the special management zones off North Carolina, harvest of snapper-grouper species by spear will be limited to the applicable recreational bag limit.
  • In the special management zones off South Carolina, harvest of snapper-grouper species with all gear types will be limited to the applicable recreational bag limit.

Read the full story at the Island Free Press

NORTH CAROLINA: Fisheries service sets new restrictions on fishing near artificial reefs

April 5, 2021 — Recreational and commercial fishermen will have new gear and harvest limits starting in May at artificial reef sites off the coast of North Carolina.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service announced Friday Regulatory Amendment 34 to the South Atlantic region’s snapper-grouper fishery management plan will go into effect Monday, May 3.

The amendment creates 30 special management zones around artificial reefs off of the state’s coast, including off the coast of Carteret County, as well as four off of South Carolina.

Read the full story at the Carteret County News-Times

NORTH CAROLINA: Artificial Reef Program to Propose 4-Year Plan

July 26, 2018 –Meetings are planned in Raleigh, Ocracoke, Wilmington and Morehead City in August for the state Division of Marine Fisheries’ Artificial Reef Program representatives to share information and receive feedback on a proposed four-year artificial reef enhancement plan, the state agency announced Wednesday.

Artificial Reef Program representatives will be seeking partners during each meeting for regional reef enhancement projects.

In North Carolina, artificial reefs, which are a man-made underwater structures built to promote marine life in areas with a generally featureless bottom, serve as crucial spawning and foraging habitat for many commercially and recreationally important fish species, the release stated.

Read the full story at Coastal Review Online

New York is expanding artificial reefs off Long Island

April 20, 2018 — In what will be the largest expansion ever of New York State’s artificial reef system, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Tuesday that more than 43,000 cubic yards of clean, recycled Tappan Zee Bridge material, 5,900 cubic yards of jetty rock, 338 cubic yards of steel pipe, and more than 30 old vessels will be spread across marine reef sites in the waters surrounding Long Island. All of the reef materials have been cleaned of contaminants.

All told, six sites will be expanded: Shinnecock, Moriches, Fire Island, Hempstead and Rockaway reefs on the South Shore, plus Smithtown Reef in Long Island Sound. Fire Island Reef will get the biggest drop with 10 barges of bridge material, 11 canal vessels, a barge of steel pipe, plus four barges of jetty rock by June 28. Hempstead Reef will see a dozen barges of bridge material and 11 canal vessels deployed through August. The remaining reefs will get lesser though significant boosts.

According to the DEC, construction of New York’s first artificial reef dates to 1949.

Read the full story at Newsday

 

North Carolina begins work on artificial reef to restore Cape Fear oyster population

November 8, 2017 — Sport fishermen and oyster lovers rejoice – construction has begun on a one-acre artificial reef aimed at enhancing recreational fishing and providing a new, hospitable home for oysters in the Lower Cape Fear River.

The artificial reef, known formally as AR 491, is a project from the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries (NCDMF) in partnership with Carolina Beach State Park and the North Carolina Coastal Federation. The five-acre site is located in the Cape Fear River just off the banks of Carolina Beach State Park.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, workers deployed 700-tons of recycled crushed concrete into the river to create the new reef.

Read the full story at Port City Daily

 

Mid-Atlantic Council to Hold Hearings on New Jersey Special Management Zones

October 31, 2016 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold three public hearings in November 2016 to gather public comments on a request by the State of New Jersey to designate 13 of its artificial reef sites located in federal waters as Special Management Zones (SMZ). The hearings will be held November 15-17, 2016. Written comments will be accepted until Friday, November 25, 2016, 11:59 p.m. EST.

Background

In November 2015, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) petitioned the Mid-Atlantic Council to designate 13 artificial reef sites as SMZs under provisions of Amendment 9 to the Summer Flounder, Scup and Black Sea Bass Fishery Management Plan. The petition was based on the need to reduce gear conflicts between hook and line fishermen and fixed pot/trap gear at those sites. The SMZ designation could prohibit the use of any gear except hook and line and spear fishing (including the taking of fish by hand) within the 13 potential SMZ sites. The Council’s SMZ Monitoring Team (MT) evaluated the NJDEP request and recommended that the Council designate all 13 artificial reef sites as SMZs. The MT analysis indicated that commercial fishing vessels deploying pot/trap gear off the coast of New Jersey would likely face minimal to no losses in ex-vessel revenue if the artificial reefs are designated as SMZs. The Council is scheduled to review public comments and make a decision relative to NJ SMZ designation at its December 2016 meeting in Annapolis, MD.

Public Hearing Schedule

The dates and locations of the public hearings are as follows:

  • Tuesday November 15, 2016, 7:00-9:30 p.m., Kingsborough Community College, 2001 Oriental Blvd., Brooklyn NY 11235, Room M239 of the Marina and Academic Center (The Lighthouse).
  • Wednesday November 16, 2016, 7:00-10:00 p.m., Clarion Hotel & Conference Center, 815 Route 37 West, Toms River, NJ 08755.
  • Thursday November 17, 2016, 7:00-10:00 p.m., Congress Hall, 200 Congress Place, Cape May, NJ 08204.

These meetings are physically accessible to people with disabilities. Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aid should be directed to M. Jan Saunders, 302-526-5251, at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

Written Comments

Written comments will be accepted until Friday, November 25, 2016, 11:59 p.m. and may be sent by any of the following methods:

  • Mail to Dr. Chris Moore, Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 800 North State Street, Suite 201, Dover, DE, 19901 (include “NJ SMZ Request” on envelope);
  • Fax to Dr. Chris Moore, Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council at fax number 302-674-5399 (include “NJ SMZ Request” in the subject line); or
  • Email to Rich Seagraves at rseagraves@mafmc.org (include “NJ SMZ Request” in the subject line).

Contact

For more information, contact Rich Seagraves, Senior Scientist, at rseagraves@mafmc.org.

 

Delaware might scuttle ferry for artificial fishing reef

LOWER TOWNSHIP, N.J. — A Cape May-Lewes Ferry boat that has been for sale for four years likely will be scuttled as a new artificial reef after failing to draw interest on the commercial market.

The MV Twin Capes has been moored at the Delaware River & Bay Authority’s docks in Lower Township since it was gradually taken out of service about two years ago.

The ferryboat is bigger, heavier and more nicely appointed than the other three in the fleet. It has a full restaurant, a food court and two plush bars that were added as part of a $27 million renovation in 1996.

But the bigger boat costs more to operate, DRBA spokesman James Salmon said. It requires a bigger crew (17 people instead of 12) and uses more fuel than the other three ferries with every 17-mile crossing over the Delaware Bay.

The DRBA has a tentative agreement to sell the ferry for $250,000 to Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources for use as an artificial ocean reef.

Delaware is partnering with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, which has decades of experience sinking barges, boats and construction material to create offshore habitat for fish.

Read the full story at Press of Atlantic City

NEW JERSEY: Trap survey underway on two reefs

April 22, 2016 — Three recreational and commercially important species are the subject of a trap survey that is being conducted on the artificial reefs now through November.

The state’s Division of Fish and Wildlife and researchers from Rutgers University have deployed a series of fish traps on two reefs to focus on characterizing the seasonal and spatial changes in reef community composition and relative abundance of structure-associated species.

Read the full story at the Asbury Park Press

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

ACFHP Extends Deadline for Proposals to Study and/or Restore Black Sea Bass Habitat along the Mid-Atlantic

December 7, 2015 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership (ACFHP) is seeking research and/or restoration proposals to address black sea bass habitat issues in the Mid-Atlantic region (from Long Island Sound to Cape Hatteras), with an emphasis on the use of natural and/or artificial reefs and their ability to maintain and enhance fishery productivity. Projects can range from 12 – 24 months in length, and should include guaranteed monitoring for at least three years. The maximum award for an individual project is $225,000, and multiple highly ranked projects will be considered if the amount requested totals less than the $225,000 in available funds. All proposed artificial reef construction projects must be developed in coordination with the artificial reef manager in their respective state (contact information listed in the Request for Proposals) to be eligible for funding.

Proposals are due by February 1, 2016 at midnight. The full Request for Proposals is available here: Black Sea Bass Habitat RFP. For questions or to submit a proposal, please email Lisa Havel, ACFHP Coordinator, at LHavel@asmfc.org.