Artificial reef planned for Napier

Napier Port has received resource consent to develop an artificial reef 1.4 kilometres northeast of Pania Reef.

Napier Port is working in partnership with LegaSea Hawke’s Bay, a group of recreational fishers dedicated to rebuilding Hawke’s Bay’s fish stock, to create the reef. Limestone will be taken from an existing revetment well which is being dismanteled, and moved to the newreef site via a barge.

Napier Port Chief Executive Todd Dawson says, “We’re pleased that some of the dismantled limestone will be used to help replenish our fisheries and give back to the Hawke’s Bay community. It’s a great example of what we can do when we collaborate with others and balance environmental, cultural and economic success,” says Mr Dawson.

LegaSea Hawke’s Bay spokesperson, Brian Firman, says the benefits of the reef, made from naturally occurring limestone, should be seen soon after installation.

“This reef will help boost recreational fishing and diving opportunities by providing structure and habitat for a wide variety of marine life. Just a few rocks in an otherwise sparse area will not only assist breeding and protection for juvenile fish, but support a surprising diversity of species, including shellfish, crayfish, seaweed and fish,” says Mr Firman.

While the port has received resource consent to deposit up to 20,000m3, the amount of limestone that will be used to develop the reef is still to be determined as some of the rock will be used to maintain existing revetment walls around the port.

The port also has resource consent to support a second reef about 24 kilometres from Pania Reef at the location of the “Gwen B” shipwreck, which it will do if there is enough limestone left after the maintenance and establishment of the first reef.

A barge-mounted excavator will dismantle the rock revetment in stages and transfer it onto the barge for transportation to the reef. Napier Port expects to take the first limestone rocks out to the reef site on the dredging barge which will be used for 6 Wharf in mid- 2020. The reef should be established in the second half of the year.