Three Artificial reefs proposed for Narragansett Bay
If all permitting goes smoothly and public comments are sorted out, they are going to go on the Portsmouth shore, NW side. Two are going to go there and one just inside Mount Hope Bay. Each reef is going to be a quarter acre in size and be set in 30 to 50 feet of water. They're going to be composed of cement modules that are supposed to imitate a Rhode Island boulder field. Each reef will have about 400 of these modules, which are the size of a boulder, 1 meter high by 1.5 meters at the base.
The purpose of the reefs are to see if they increase juvenile recruitment of blackfish, sea bass, scup. They are not intended to be fishing spots. Though fishing inside them, even anchoring inside them, will be allowed--and as you can guess once guys find them they are going to get fished pretty hard. No fixed gear allowed--conch or lobster. No trawling.
It's a DEM project. They got a federal sportfish recruitment grant to do this.
I know exactly where the reefs are proposed to be, but I cant say. No sport burning from me anymore. I got hung out to dry already today doing this.
I wrote a quick article on this for the Providence Business News. I think it may come out tomorrow. I'll post the article here if any of you want to become involved. It's still open for public comment.
I think its great and to be honest they should not allow fishing for several years and allow the population to grow if infact it does. Open it up after the research is complete. Just my thoughts. Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device
The worry is they are going to get pounded on. It'll take a few years for the reefs to become productive habitat but once they do, they'll get hit pretty hard. They are basically going to become DEM fishing areas. I heard some people say they same thing as you. Leave them alone or keep one closed. But then the whole MPA thing gets brought in and people start flipping out.
It's a start. It'll be interesting to see what happens. I'm all for it.
I wish MA would vigorously pursue this south of MV...it is a desert of flat sand out there, we need structure. Also the cape could benefit as well. If done right it could stabilize beach erosion as well as provide habitat. But we need a lot of them both in deep and shallow water. I like the idea of concrete structures. Moreover it is a good place to dispose of old fishermen ashes when they die...bury them in a concrete reef and then name it after the dude. "Today we will be fishing on Sandman reef" It could create jobs and protect the environment at the same time. The problem in MA is there is over 22 agencies that need to approve it and if once says no your hosed. As an example... I recently spoke to the shellfish warden about the herring runs that were suppose to be restored and why they are still not up and running....he said they actually got over 200K to re-dig them out and cover them in certain places but they have spent all that and more just in permits and have no $ left for actual construction. And you want to know what is wrong with big liberal government....
It is OK if they are fished. As you add more reefs the structure is pressured less. I thought RI sank the Jamestown bridge as a reef. How is that working out? You have to look to florida and gulf states, they have got it right when it comes to reefs.
Last edited by Mr. Sandman; 10-10-2013 at 06:41 AM..
Isn't Florida leading the nation with more square miles of No-Fishing MPA's ?
There has to be plenty of derelict ships in ports that can be scuttled down there, like they did outside of Boston.
FL has over 1000 art. reefs. I have fished a few and there was no one one else out there on any of them, they are well marked and fishing was off the charts good. Every pass you would hook up with a different species.
My buddy was involved in deploying old subway cars off SC for a reef and also several ship sinking projects. It was an underwater desert with no fish around before the reefs were deployed. Fish show up pretty quick...and by a year they are covered with fish.
If done right it could stabilize beach erosion as well
I agree 100% with everything else, but this is a big old 'Nope'....
Bryan
Originally Posted by #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^&
"For once I agree with Spence. UGH. I just hope I don't get the urge to go start buying armani suits to wear in my shop"
Florida, Louisiana, Jersey, the Carolinas. They are decades ahead of us.
The old Jamestown Bridge--I think some of the concrete got broken up and spread off Newport. A lot of people wanted a much more significant reef from the old bridge, like the whole superstructure and everything, sunk in deep water off the coast. Instead they did a much much smaller reef from the bridge. As far as I know. Maybe someone here knows more about it than I do.
Sink the aircraft carrier over at the Newport base. That'd be good blackfish bottom.
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