Holdfast Bay Council call to build $1.2m artificial shellfish reef off the coast of Glenelg
A large artificial shellfish reef – built out of shells from local restaurants – would be built at Glenelg under a council plan to win the $1.2 million project.
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Glenelg would become home to a 2ha shellfish reef – one of only a handful in the world off the coast of a capital city – under a Holdfast Bay Council plan.
The council has put up its hand – and a $20,000 sweetener – to host the $1.2 million State Government-funded artificial reef.
O’Sullivan Beach and Port Noarlunga are also possible locations for the reef, to include oysters, mussels, crabs, cuttlefish, prawns and other native fish.
International environmental group The Nature Conservancy plans to develop the reef.
Under its plan, limestone rubble and recycled shells will be laid on the sea floor along with millions of baby oysters and mussels which will then attach to the base, creating a living reef that attracts other fish.
Shells will be collected from local restaurants for the project.
According to a report by Holdfast Bay staff, South Australia’s coast was lined with more than 1500km of shellfish reefs from the Eyre Peninsula to Adelaide before European settlement.
Large amounts of oysters were eventually taken for food and the reefs were dredged for lime and other materials for construction.
There are no known native shellfish reefs left in South Australia, except for Windara Reef which The Nature Conservancy recently built off the coast of Ardrossan, on the Yorke Peninsula.
Holdfast Bay Mayor Amanda Wilson said the reef would help bring diving tourists to Glenelg.
“It would also help with water clarity with the treatment works at Glenelg North, and help produce more fish stock for fishing on the jetty,” Mrs Wilson said.
“It’d also provide a little bit of protection to the sand at Glenelg North so it does not get so swept away in storms.”
Diving boats already operated out of the Patawalonga River and Mrs Wilson said the reef would be a “good fit”.
It is not known when the government will make a decision as to the reef’s location.
Construction expected to begin in September.