Batemans Bay Boaters Association
In a improving atmosphere of cooperation the Council's project Manager of marine infrastructure requested a meeting with the Network to discuss two sites for upgrade using the Boating Now funds announced in 2019 by the then Minister of Transport & Roads Andrew Constance.
What prompted this meeting was the imminent placement of an artificial reef off the coast of Moruya Heads There will be two steel towers reef to attract Kingfish, Trevallies, Snapper, Flathead, Whiting & Morwongs.
To access these reefs offshore vessels will have to launch from nearby boatramps. The two existing are Mossy Point just inside the Tomaga River mouth and Peddy’s Wharf Boat Ramp up the river from the Moruya river bar.
The meeting was held last week with a number of Network fishing and boating representatives present plus two persons from Council. A future post will set out the agreed improvements and suggestions.
The importance of the artificial reef along the South Coast can not be stressed enough which was why Department of Primary Industry initiated this project. Their management plan released in April 2021 may be found here
https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/1324077/Batemans-Bay-offshore-artificial-reef-Long-term-management-plan.pdf
This is a very detailed and well argued document for the long term management of this reef. It states that DPI aims to improve recreational fishing opportunities in NSW through the development of artificial reefs in offshore locations.
DPI manages recreational fishing in ocean waters off NSW under the Fisheries Management Act 1994 (FM Act) and the Offshore Constitutional Settlement. The primary objective of the FM Act is “to conserve, develop and share the fishery resources of the State for the benefit of present and future generations.”
The Batemans region is also afforded an additional layer of environmental protection under the Marine Estate Management Act 2014. It set-out the objectives of the Act and the deployment of artificial reefs as a fisheries enhancement tool which is consistent with these objectives.
Recreational fishing is an important leisure activity for approximately 12% of the NSW population (approximately 849,000 people over the age of 15) and provides significant social and economic benefits, with an estimated $3.42 billion generated in economic activity in NSW each year creating approximately 14,000 full-time equivalent jobs. There are just more than half a million NSW residents that have a boat licence who contribute significant funds to the Boating Now marine infrastructure enhancing programs.
Expect to see minor improvements at these boatramps as we come out of lockdown and prepare for the influx of visitors over the summer holidays.
Image courtesy of Hae Joo DPI
