Artificial reefs dot the Louisiana Gulf Coast, hopefully bringing schools of fish to the warm waters. The Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) is spearheading the creation of those reefs.
CCA Louisiana Executive Director David Cresson gave an update on the artificial reef program to Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commissioners on Thursday, Feb. 6.
“This is an incredible program in the state of Louisiana and your department has taken the lead,” Cresson said.
The reefs protect and improve habitat, increase populations of fish and other marine life, enhance fishing and diving opportunities and improve scientific research. CCA has built 55 reefs, all of them in partnership with the state of Louisiana.
This past year, CCA has built Pelican Island Reef, Ted Beaullieu Sr. Reef expansion, a reef at Cameron 82, Raising Cane’s Hotel Sid near Grand Isle, Jacob Meek Reef, South Timbalier 86 and South Timbalier 63.
Six to eight reefs will be built in 2025, according to Cresson.
South Timbalier 86 consists of 36 “Super Reefs” designed by Reefmaker. On this project, 12 15-foot pyramids weighing in at over 30,000 pounds apiece and 24 8-foot pyramids at just over 6,000 pounds a piece were placed on the sea floor. These “Super Reefs” are pyramid-shaped structures comprised of concrete, steel rebar and limestone rocks that mimic natural reefs and support many varieties of marine life, making them a perfect fisheries habitat material.
“These reefs are productive,” Cresson said. “Not only do they accumulate fish, but they produce fish. This has been proven. We’re are very proud of that, and we are replacing that lost habitat.”
The reefs replace decommissioned oil and gas platforms. Two decades ago there were 3,500 platforms off of Louisiana’s coast, now there are less than a 1,000, according to Cresson.
Stock assessment report
Meanwhile, Jason Adriance, LDWF marine fisheries biologist, gave a stock assessment report for striped mullet, sheepshead, black drum and southern flounder.
According to the assessment report, striped mullet stock is neither overfished (too few fish to sustain the population) nor undergoing overfishing (too many fish being removed to sustain or rebuild the population).
The current spawning potential ratio for striped mullet is estimated to be 87 percent. The species is currently an underutilized and healthy stock with no indications of needing any restrictive management measures in the near future.
The sheepshead stock is also neither overfished nor undergoing overfishing. The current potential spawning ratio for sheepshead is estimated to be 53 percent. The stock is healthy with no indications of needing any restrictive management measures in the near future. According to the assessment, the stock is currently just above its management target.
Black drum is neither overfished nor undergoing overfishing. The current spawning potential ratio for black drum is estimated to be 45 percent. There are no indications of needing more restrictive management measures in the near future. But, the report advised there should be continued monitoring of the stock to ensure management limits are not approached or exceeded.
The southern flounder stock is currently overfished (too few fish to sustain the population) but not undergoing overfishing (too many fish being removed to sustain or rebuild the population).
Seasonal closure of southern flounder has reduced fishing mortality but the stock remains overfished, according to the report. It recommends the continuation of monitoring to ensure management measures be put into place to improve the stock status beyond an overfishing condition.
Bowfishing
Additionally, Adriance gave a bowfishing update to commissioners.
As of Jan. 27, LDWF has 970 active bowfishing permits, with the majority being Louisiana residents.
According to Adriance, 101,187 angler trips at night are bowfishing.
Assuming all of this activity is directed at red drum, and simply applying that effort to LDWF landing data, about 7 percent of private angler red drum landings and 7 percent of charter red drum landings occur in the nighttime hours.
Rep. Joseph Orgeron, District 54, representing Jefferson and Lafourche parishes, suggested different seasons or limits.
“If you are a person who likes the idea of a full ban, then I am not your guy,” Orgeron said. “If you are a person who likes leaving it exactly the way it is, I am also not your guy. Somewhere in the middle needs to be done. I’m of the belief, and the comments I get from my constituency, that probably there should be different seasons or limits or size differential to ensure no undersize taking is occurring.”
