It’s more than a FAD: fish-attracting devices return to Torquay

THE Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) off Torquay’s coast will return to the artificial reef off Fishermans Beach over the next few weeks.

The five FADs, which will be deployed by the Victorian Fisheries Authority, are large surface buoys attached to a long rope connected to the concrete reef modules about four kilometres offshore.

A smaller sub-surface buoy on the rope acts like a pathway that guide fish to the surface, increasing fishing opportunities for those nearby.

The devices were brought in during winter to avoid being damaged during large swells and to reduce the chance of entangling any migrating whales.

Torquay Angling Club commodore Trevor Doolan said as well as the expected numbers of kingfish, the reef and the FADs were attracting snapper, gummy shark and school shark.

Minister for Agriculture Jaala Pulford visited the Torquay Angling Club last week with Labor candidate for South Barwon Darren Cheeseman to announce the return of the FADs.

Ms Pulford said Labor’s “quite audacious” plan to increase participation in fishing through its Target One Million policy (of which the reef and the FADs are a part) was paying off, and would have more to say about the policy’s next steps as the state election drew closer.