Bringing back the Reefs
Building on the fantastic large-scale shellfish restoration efforts already underway in Port Phillip, this project will focus on a smaller-scale, community-driven approach, with fishers rolling up their sleeves and helping to deploy reef substrate, monitor restoration progress and highlight rec fisher’s capabilities.
Working together with the Port Phillip and Westernport CMA, we’re hoping that this smaller approach and the direct community participation will increase the community’s awareness of the importance of shellfish reef habitats and support the great work going on nationally to bring them back from the brink. The project is in the permitting stage, with on ground works hopefully starting this summer.
Fishers Unite
Port Phillip is so big, we need all the help we can get! With Chapters all around the Bay, OzFishers are working together to restore their patch.
Through this project, multiple OzFish Chapters, including Albert Park, Bayside and Mornington, are joining forces to help bring back this critical habitat on the Bay’s eastern side. In the west, the Corio Community Reefs Project is taking a similar approach in the Corio Arm of Port Phillip, with the Geelong and Indented Head Chapters working together to restore reefs in their region.
Learn more about other restoration efforts in the Bay.
Corio Community Reefs Project
Shellfish reefs are vital fish habitat. Check out our Unpack Habitat on shellfish reefs to understand more about why they are important to fish
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Shellfish reefs create complex habitat, providing hiding places for juvenile fish and prey of larger species.
A newfound understanding of the importance of shellfish reefs and community efforts to restore these critical fish habitats are underway all over the globe, with rec fishers playing a major role in many restoration projects.
“Over the past five years, there’s been some fantastic progress in shellfish restoration both nationally and here in Port Phillip, with Oz Fishers assisting on many of these projects.” Now with this project underway, it provides an ideal opportunity for Victoria’s rec fishers to demonstrate their capabilities in coastal habitat restoration efforts.” – Senior Program Manager Vic/Tas Ben Cleveland
Throughout the project, we will be running engagement and education events to provide project updates, help the community better understand the benefits of shellfish restoration, and highlight how you can get involved. You can find out about our upcoming activities on the OzFish events page.
OzFish Events
Renowned for its Snapper, Calamari and King George Whiting fishing, Port Phillip Bay is a fishing destination, all on Melbourne’s doorstep.
Covering 1,930km2, Port Phillip is a drowned river flood plain, with the old Yarra River channel still to be found weaving its way across the seabed towards “The Rip”, the dangerous narrow entrance well known as an excellent spot for Kingfish. With rocky reefs, seagrass beds, sandy bottom and deep channels, there’s a heap of different fishing opportunities for everyone.
However, historical records show vast areas of the seafloor were made up of shellfish reef and mussel beds, which have been lost over the last 200 years through overharvesting, pollution and smothering from sediments coming down our rivers. These impacts have been felt across many of the bay’s other habitats, all essential nursery grounds for our favourite fish.
The project is supported by the Port Phillip and Westernport CMA through funding from the Australian Governments’ Fisheries Habitat Restoration Program.
