Torquay reef welcomes fish attracting devices

07 December 2017

Torquay's offshore fishing reef will welcome five fish attracting devices (FADs) in January to improve recreational fishing opportunities for saltwater anglers during the warmer months.

Minister for Agriculture, the Hon Jaala Pulford said the five yellow FADS would be attached to the reef by divers with the aim of attracting kingfish, which are a highly regarded sportfish and considered very good eating on the dinner table.

"The two year trial is being funded by the State Government's Target One Million $46 million plan, which aims to increase participation to one million anglers by 2020".

"Victoria's kingfish populations have boomed in recent years and they are now a popular target species for anglers with boats capable of heading offshore."

Each FAD consists of a large floating surface buoy attached to a long rope that descends 25 metres to the concrete reef modules below. Flashing lights on the FAD ensure safe navigation in low light and at night.

Pelagic fish are attracted to structure, so the rope acts like pathway that guides them upwards to a smaller sub-surface buoy, then to another rope that leads to the surface.

The FADs will be installed for six months, when kingfish are most active, then removed to reduce the risk of damage during large winter swells or entanglement during whale migration.

The Torquay reef was deployed in 2015 about three kilometres offshore. It is Victoria's biggest artificial reef, funded largely by recreational fishing licence fees.

The reef consists of 25 concrete modules, up to four metres high and weighing up to 20 tonnes each, arranged into five clusters of five. Each cluster will host one FAD on the surface.

The Torquay reef's border coordinates are:

• 38˚ 19.828' S                 144˚ 22.500' E
• 38˚ 19.942' S                 144˚ 22.600' E
• 38˚ 20.184' S                 144˚ 22.320' E
• 38˚ 20.065' S                 144˚ 22.225' E

Target One Million is investing a record $46 million into recreational fishing, including $9 million from fishing licence fees, to deliver a suite of projects like this one that will get more Victorians fishing, more often.

For more information on the Torquay artificial reefs, visit www.vfa.vic.gov.au/torquayreef