NSW Recreational Fishing Trusts 2021-22 Annual Report OUT NOW

The NSW Recreational Fishing Trusts 2021-22 Annual Report can be found here - http://bit.ly/3g04zeI Two giant steel tower modules 12 m high with an overall footprint of 13 x 13 m and weighing more than 50 tonnes each were deployed approximately 3.5 km off Moruya Heads at a depth between 41 to 43 m. This was the first time an offshore artificial reef has been located within a NSW marine park general use zone. After only six months, the metal structures were completely covered with turfing algae, encrusting sponge and other invertebrates. Large schools of Kingfish and Yellowtail Scad converged around the structures, and Eastern Nannygai, Morwong, Yellowfin Pike and Bar Cod had found refuge within the framework, highlighting that a highly productive ecosystem had already established. The structures have been exposed to several weather events to date, including an east coast low event in April 2022 when maximum wave height exceeded 12 m, with no compromise to structural integrity found during subsequent in-water assessments.