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As working fishing vessels, the Mermentau and the G.P. Chauvin spent years pulling in menhaden from Gulf waters. Now in retirement, these boats have a new purpo

By Leslie Rojas

https://www.wlox.com/2023/08/28/retired-fishing-vessels-will-serve-artificial-reefs/

Published: Aug. 27, 2023 at 8:25 PM PDT|Updated: 20 hours ago

BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) -This week, Omega Protein sank two retired menhaden fishing vessels to create artificial reefs in Mississippi waters.

As working fishing vessels, the Mermentau and the G.P. Chauvin spent years pulling in menhaden from Gulf waters. Now in retirement, these boats have a new purpose as artificial reefs.

“We have a mud bottom of the coast of Mississippi. That does nothing for Fin Fish. It’s great for fish, but it doesn’t do anything for Fin Fish. So, when you put some type of structure, no matter what it is, it starts a whole new ecosystem in and around that structure,” Ralph Humphrey said.

Omega Protein partnered with the Mississippi Gulf Fishing Banks and the Department of Marine Resources to drop the vessels.

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As President of the non-profit Mississippi Gulf Fishing Banks, Ralph Humphrey has witnessed these artificial reefs develop.

“Within four months of the deployment, you can see red snapper on the structure. You’ll see fish. You’ll see bait fish gathered on the top of it. It doesn’t take long at all,” Humphrey said.

The exact location of the deployment is kept secret for 12 months. That’s the amount of time DMR scientists believe it takes for an ecosystem to develop.

“Reef surface is a great enhancement for that. It allows fish to live in. A normal reef is difficult to find in the Gulf of Mexico, so when you can create an artificial reef where you can tack on is a wonderful opportunity,” Ben Landry said.

Omega Protein President Ben Landry says his company continues to donate these vessels to help the environment.

Once that one-year incubation period has passed, people can find these locations by searching for artificial reefs on the Mississippi DMR website.

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