Artificial reef to bring fresh fishing opportunities to Coffs Harbour

AN artificial reef will be deployed off Coffs Harbour within weeks, following the recent installation of a new reef off the Ballina coast.

Costing $1.35 million each, the reefs are being delivered with funding from the NSW Government’s Recreational Fishing Trust and the Marine Estate Management Strategy.

The reefs imitate the environment of natural reefs and encourage a wide diversity of marine growth for fish to flourish in.

Fish typically start to colonise the structures in large numbers within about a year, with the Ballina reef expected to attract key species including Mackerel, Snapper, Mulloway and various baitfish.

The Ballina reef consists of two steel structures developed by naval architects, coastal engineers and biologists to create a high-quality marine habitat while resisting sliding and overturning forces during a one-in-100-year storm event.

Each structure has a footprint of 15.6 x 15.6 m, a height of 12 metres and weighs 50 tonnes.

They have been placed approximately 100 metres apart in around 32 metres of water.

The Coffs Harbour reef will have a similar design.

The two new reefs join 11 others already installed along the NSW coast including at Forster and Terrigal deployed in late 2023.

The new reefs have been built, transported and installed by NSW-based marine infrastructure company, SMC Marine, and constructed in Queensland, with the Ballina reef towed 350 km over three days and sunk 3.5 km off Patchs Beach.

Minister for Agriculture and Regional NSW, Tara Moriarty said, “The new Offshore Artificial Reefs at Ballina and Coffs Harbour are set to become a major drawcard, providing fantastic fishing opportunities for locals and visitors eager to catch a variety of fish species.

“The reef will quickly become a thriving ecosystem, first attracting baitfish, followed by an exciting range of sportfish like Mackerel, Snapper and Mulloway in the coming months.

“Recreational fishing contributes $3.4 billion to the NSW economy each year and these reefs will only further that economic impact.

“These new reefs take the total number of offshore artificial reefs in NSW to 13, an excellent example of how recreational fishing licence fees are being put to good use, with additional financial support from the Marine Estate Management Strategy.”