Artificial reefs and fish aggregating devices

An artificial reef is a man-made underwater structure built to promote marine life.

It is used to create new habitat for fish to help increase numbers and reduce pressure on existing natural reef and fish stocks.

There are several artificial reefs located in the Northern Territory at Fenton Patches, Darwin Harbour, Dundee, Adelaide River Mouth, North Gutter and Lee Point.

Artificial reefs and fish aggregating devices (FADs) create new fish habitat and provide new fishing areas that can help reduce pressure on existing natural reefs and fish stocks.

Engineered artificial reefs

Four specifically engineered reef complexes were installed in 2019.

The reef complexes are large concrete structures that are five metres tall and four metres square at the base, weighing about 24 tonnes.

The reefs are expected to last up to 100 years and will attract a variety of species to suit a range of fishing techniques and abilities.

Location NamePositionApproximate Depth (m)
Lee Point Wide12 10.083’S
130 47.033’E
28
Gutters central12 09.459’S
130 34.655’E
28
Dundee Wide12 44.445’S
130 10.387’E
16
Adelaide River Mouth12 07.587’S
131 11.545’E
16

Marchart 3

Type: 32m steel oil rig tender.

Approximate position: 12° 10.275'S 130° 40.635'E.

Approximate depth: 25m.

Common species: jewfish, saddle-tail snapper, golden snapper, trevally, estuary cod, tuna and mackerel.

Bus Stop Reef

Type: 6 x steel shipping pontoons, 45 x truck tyres, 3 x concrete bus shelters, 1 x 10m steel boat cut in two sections. Approximate total 200 tonnes of materials.

Approximate position: 12° 11.163'S 130° 41.165'E.

Approximate depth: 25m.

Common species: jewfish, saddle-tail snapper, golden snapper, trevally, estuary cod, tuna and mackerel.

Pipeline Reef

Type: 200 tonnes of large concrete pipes.

Approximate position: 12° 11.669'S 130° 40.390'E.

Approximate depth: 25m.

Common species: jewfish, saddle-tail snapper, golden snapper, trevally, estuary cod, tuna and mackerel.

Galah and Heron

Type: 2 x 20m vessels.

Approximate position: 12° 9.701'S 130° 40.750'E.

Approximate depth: 25m.

Common species: jewfish, saddle-tail snapper, golden snapper, trevally, estuary cod, tuna and mackerel.

Cockatoo and Mudlark

Type: 2 x 20m vessels.

Approximate position: 12° 10.097'S 130° 39.732'E.

Approximate depth: 25m.

Common species: jewfish, saddle-tail snapper, golden snapper, trevally, estuary cod, tuna and mackerel.

Amanda Lee

Type: 1 x 20m steel vessel.

Approximate position: 12° 09.691'S 130° 40.721'E.

Approximate depth: 25m.

Common species: jewfish, saddle-tail snapper, golden snapper, trevally, estuary cod and mackerel.

Antares and Steel Barge

Type: 1 x 20m steel vessel and a 10m x 10m steel barge

Approximate position: 12° 09.937'S 130° 41.363'E

Approximate depth: 25m

Common species: jewfish, saddle-tail snapper, golden snapper, trevally, estuary cod and mackerel.

Amelia C and Merindah Pearl

Type: 2 x 25m steel vessels.

Approximate position: 12° 09.810'S 130° 41.409'E.

Approximate depth: 25m.

Common species: jewfish, saddle-tail snapper, golden snapper, trevally, estuary cod and mackerel.

Ham Luong

Type: 15m steel Vietnamese refugee boat.

Approximate position: 12° 28.65'S 130° 47.9'E.

Approximate depth: 24m.

Common species: golden snapper, estuary cod, tusk fish and jewfish.

John Holland Barge

Type: 18m x 12m steel barge - four parallel steel cylindrical pontoons plus a deck house of steel and wood and one small steel work boat hull nearby.

Approximate position: 12° 28.55'S 130° 47.88'E.

Approximate depth: 24m.

Common species: tusk fish, jewfish, golden snapper and estuary cod.

Stokes Hill Wharf artificial reef

Type: Three vessels and several concrete pipes.

Approximate position: beneath fishing platform on wharf's approach - also see Neptuna, wartime wreck.

Approximate depth: 10m.

Common species: jewfish, queenfish, estuary cod, golden snapper, mackerel.

Medkhanun 3

Type: 30m steel confiscated foreign fishing vessel.

Approximate position: 12° 28.710'S 130° 48.145'E.

Approximate depth: 20m.

Common species: jewfish, golden snapper, estuary cod and Spanish flag.

Bottlewasher Reef

Type: decommissioned coke bottle washing machine and various plant equipment plus 1,500 tonnes of concrete culverts.

Approximate position: 12° 18.159'S 130° 51.765'E.

Approximate depth: 15m.

Common species: jewfish, golden snapper, estuary cod, Spanish flag, mackerel.

Truck Tipper Reef

Type: 20 mining truck side tippers and two decommissioned steel vessels.

Approximate position: 12° 17.979'S 130° 50.370'E.

Approximate depth: 15m.

Common species: jewfish, golden snapper, estuary cod, Spanish flag.

Rick Mills Reef

Type: Assorted plant equipment, 1,500 tonnes of concrete culverts, five shipping containers and various vessel hulls.

Approximate position: 12° 18.451'S 130° 48.872'E.

Approximate depth: 15m.

Common species: jewfish, golden snapper, estuary cod, mackerel, Spanish flag.

FADs like buoys or floats are used on or below the ocean's surface and anchored to the bottom.

They attract species more suited to catch and release such as tuna, trevally, queenfish, mackerel and billfish.

FADs are not designed as mooring devices. Mooring can result in anchors dragging or FADs breaking free and becoming lost.

FADs work most effectively when they are left in place for long periods of time.

If you are fishing around an FAD, there is a code of conduct you should follow. To find out more, read the rules for using a fishing aggregating device.

Dundee

Type: Yellow buoy with special marker and yellow flashing light.

Approximate position: 12° 40.000'S 130° 10.000'E.

Approximate depth: 20m.

Common species: pelagic species such as mackerel, tuna, trevally, sailfish.

North Gutter

Type: Yellow buoy with special marker and yellow flashing light.

Common species: pelagic species such as mackerel, tuna, trevally, sailfish.

North Gutter 1

Approximate position: 12° 05.459’S 130° 34.057’E.

Approximate depth: 30m.

North Gutter 2

Approximate position:12° 05.200’S 130° 33.740’E

Approximate depth: 30m.

Fenton Patches

Type: Yellow buoy with special marker and yellow flashing light.

Common species: pelagic species such as mackerel, tuna, trevally, sailfish.

Fenton 1

Approximate position: 12° 10.290’S 130° 38.544’E.

Approximate depth: 23m.

Fenton 2

Approximate position: 12° 10.013’S 130° 38.232’E.

Approximate depth: 23m.


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