Fishing license sales support artificial reef development

 

Artificial reefs are manmade underwater structures, built to promote marine life in areas with otherwise featureless bottom. North Carolina builds reefs to support healthy fish populations, create accessible fishing and diving opportunities, and in some places, restore degraded habitat for oysters.

The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries maintains 43 ocean artificial reefs and 25 estuarine reefs, 15 of which serve as oyster sanctuaries. Ocean reefs are situated so that they can be reached from every maintained inlet in the state.

The success of North Carolina’s Artificial Reef Program is due in part to wide public support and Division of Marine Fisheries staff, who develop, maintain, evaluate, and administer the reef systems.

Artificial reef enhancement in North Carolina has traditionally been a community endeavor. While the state has managed the artificial reef program since the mid-1970s, coastal fishermen and others from the recreational community have offered materials, raised funds, or provided siting input.

Artificial Reef Program staff get contacted several times a month about proposed artificial reef enhancements. These contacts come from individuals, reef organizations or other non-government organizations, marine contractors, or other government agencies that have available match funds or existing material for donation. Suitable materials, for example, are often opportunistic and available on relatively short notice but require supplemental funding for contracted artificial reef deployment. Without readily available funds, these opportunities are often lost.

In 2018, the Artificial Reef Program received a $2 million in Coastal Recreational Fishing License funding for a four-year enhancement project. The project receives $500,000 each fiscal year over the course of the four years to use on the procurement and deployment of reef material.

The project has been broken up geographically for each year to allow for enhancements in each region of North Carolina’s coastline. Since Coastal Recreational Fishing License funds were granted in previous years to build a new reef (AR-165) the Outer Banks area, this area was excluded from the four-year project. The project is scheduled as follows:

  • Year one (fiscal year 2018-2019) — Material procurement for Raleigh Bay and Southern Onslow Bay;
  • Year two (fiscal year 2019-2020) — Material deployment at AR-250 and AR-255 in Raleigh Bay and AR-368 in Southern Onslow Bay;
  • Year three (fiscal year 2020-2021) — Material procurement and deployment at AR-430 in Long Bay;
  • Year four (fiscal year 2021-2022) — Material procurement and deployment in Northern Onslow Bay.

June 30, 2019 marked the end of project year 1. The year 1 funds were used to purchase 696 Reef Balls (434 Supras and 262 Goliath Reef Balls). These will be split between AR-250, AR-255, and AR-368 during the reef deployments in Year 2. Year 2 deployment will also include a 180’-200’ vessel to be sunk at AR-368.