The Humboldt Area Saltwater Anglers (HASA) are partnering with the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation and 21 other agencies and NGO’s to develop an artificial reef just outside Humboldt Bay. The site is one square mile north and west of the entrance to Humboldt Bay (the “North Jetty”) and is currently a featureless sand and mud bottom ranging from 60 to 100 feet underwater. The “reef” will consist of eight-foot-tall hollow concrete pyramids with holes for sea life and currents to flow through, a mega version of the little castles and houses you buy at Fin ‘n’ Feather to enhance the environment for your goldfish. The project has enormous potential for expanded tourism and for marine research while steering clear of impacting our commercial crab fishery.
HASA has produced a slide show that explains the project more clearly than I could and I encourage you to click HERE to access it on the Humboldt Working Port website. Once on the page, click on “presentations”, second column from the right, the one by Casey Allen, and you can scroll down through the entire slide show. HASA has done an excellent job and is making the rounds of community groups and service clubs to gather support for the effort. Take a look at slide No. 13 to see the list of entities involved in this project and you’ll appreciate the magnitude of their effort.
This isn’t going to happen overnight but the potential to attract sport fishermen (and women and kids) to our area from elsewhere and could mitigate the loss of fishing sites brought about by the Marine Life Protection Act and other measures. And we haven’t even talked abut the research opportunities which are already being welcomed by the Humboldt State where the Environmental Assessment Class has already been involved in evaluating and planning the project. You’ll be hearing a lot more about it in coming months and it certainly appears to be a worthwhile project. Lend them your support.
For more information, contact Casey Allen at HASA, (707) 845-9234 or Longfish@humboldt1.com.