I 



The Brunswick County Board of Commissioners 

 recognize the economic value of the artificial reef 

 program, McDowell points out. They put $10,000 

 into the county's annual budget to support Long 

 Bay's reef program. 



The Long Bay group raises funds and deploys 

 reef material in alternating years. And, it rallies 

 support when windfalls of donated material comes 

 their way "out of cycle." 



It was Long Bay that first introduced reef balls 

 in North Carolina with the placement of 100 on four 

 sites in 1998. 



While the Long Bay-sponsored reef sites are 

 productive, they are a long way from reaching their 

 full potential, McDowell explains. Material covers 

 only from 10 to 12 percent of each site. 



McDowell is keen on using only environmen- 

 tally safe material and doesn't hide his excitement 

 about reef balls. 



"They are engineered to last forever," he says. 

 With 80 percent of the reefs balls' weight in their 

 bottoms, they remain well-anchored to the ocean 

 floor. Strong ocean currents pass through side and 

 top holes without moving them or breaking them up. 



Dale McDowell, president of the Long Bay Artificial Reef Association, says sport 

 fishing has become an economic asset for Brunswick County since the reef 

 enhancement program began. 



Bob Whitworth, who has fished from the Long Beach Pier for 50 years, says 

 fishing has never been better. About 65 reef balls were built into the post- 

 Hurricane Floyd pier renovations. 



"Do they work? I'm no scientist, but there are 

 places where you couldn't catch a cold before. We're 

 catching Atlantic spade fish, black sea bass and Spanish 

 mackerel. Yes. They work," says McDowell. 



BALANCING BENEFITS 



But not everyone is advocating the buildup of 

 artificial reefs. The jury still is out as far as the North 

 Carolina Fisheries Association is concerned. The 

 organization represents the state's commercial fishing 

 industry. 



In an article that appeared in the association's 

 Tradewinds publication in December 2000, members 

 expressed concerns about the long-term impact artificial 

 reefs may have on commercial fishing in North 

 Carolina. 



Many members still remember the tire fiasco, and 

 fear the use of reef balls may do even more harm to their 

 nets and gear if not monitored and maintained ad- 

 equately. 



Ostensibly, the National Reef Plan seeks to 

 enhance fish stocks and ultimately benefit commercial 

 fishing. But NCFA members question whether artificial 

 reefs have helped enhance fish populations. Still others 



10 SPRING 2002 



