In 2022, Liam Lynch undertook a commission via DJWTV to explore and document the recently deployed reef modules within ‘The Rip,’ renowned as Victoria’s most treacherous body of water. The primary focus was on investigating four clusters of artificially constructed reef modules submerged at a challenging depth of approximately 28 meters. The commission was born from the need to showcase the underwater element of this groundbreaking project that Victorian Fisheries Authority initiated.
The Port Phillip Heads ‘Rip’ area (located between Point Lonsdale and Point Nepean) is a hotspot to target yellowtail kingfish, a prized recreational sportfish. As such, condensed boat traffic presents a level of compromised safety to ships and recreational vessels particularly when recreational vessels typically fish within the only shipping channel used to access ports within Port Phillip.
To increase fishing opportunities for recreational anglers and to provide an alternative safer location away from dangerous shipping channels, the VFA has deployed a total of 16 artificial reef modules within four clusters at a depth of around 28 metres. Reef modules are durable, multi-dimensional, made from environmentally friendly cement and have a large surface area for colonisation of marine plants and animals.
2002 | Victorian Fisheries Authority Promotional Video Exploratory Dive
