Why It Matters: Offshore fishing in the Gulf of America (Gulf) is often around oil and gas platforms and associated infrastructure. These hard structures that dot the Gulf provide valuable habitat for fish, corals, and invertebrates, and important fishing destinations for anglers and commercial fishermen alike. Unfortunately, many have been removed through decommissioning. For years, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) has been working to improve the Rigs-To-Reefs program, and we are proud to have worked with Representatives Ezell, Veasey and T. Carter to develop the Marine Fisheries Habitat Protection Act, which would facilitate the conversion of more of these prolific marine habitats on standing Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) platforms to permanent artificial reefs..
Highlights:
- On Tuesday, January 13th, Chris Horton, Senior Director, Fisheries Policy for the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) will testify before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources on H.R. 5745, the Marine Fisheries Habitat Protection Act.
- Beginning in the late 1940’s, nearly 7,000 offshore oil and gas platforms were installed in the Gulf of Mexico, providing otherwise scarce hard substrates that become the catalyst for thriving marine ecosystems and important fishing and diving destinations.
- Unfortunately, only about 1,000 remain, with many of those nearing or having reached the end of their production life, meaning they will have to be removed if not converted to artificial reefs through the Rigs-to-Reefs program.
On January 13th, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources will hold a hearing on the Marine Fisheries Habitat Protection Act, a bill to facilitate the conversion of offshore energy infrastructure to permanent artificial reefs. CSF’s Chris Horton will testify in favor of the bill on behalf of recreational anglers and divers who highly value the benefits of oil and gas platforms as popular fishing destinations.
Energy infrastructure on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), has boosted fish, coral, and other marine animal productivity for more than three quarters of a century by providing hard substrate over an otherwise sterile mud/sand bottom. Over time, these structures have been the catalyst for teeming communities of fish and marine life. While there has been a longstanding debate as to whether artificial structures like oil and gas platforms are simply fish aggregators, recent research has demonstrated they can contribute to increasing the biomass of marine reef communities.
However, OCS platforms aren’t just important to fish; they’re important to corals as well. A study of corals on platforms in the northern Gulf found eight reef-building coral species, two of the most common of which are considered critically endangered from a global perspective by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
Fortunately, there is an opportunity to convert these highly productive structures into permanent artificial reefs through the Rigs-to-Reefs program. States that have a federally approved Rigs-to-Reef plan can accept liability and ownership of OCS infrastructures as artificial reefs. Strict conditions must be met, including all associated wells having been permanently sealed and abandoned (just as they would if the superstructure were hauled to shore), all components being cleaned and free of contaminants, and that the platform doesn’t pose a navigational hazard when reefed.
Unfortunately, of the nearly 7,000 platforms once constructed in the Gulf, today only about 1,000 remain, with nearly half of those at, or nearing, the end of their life in the next several years.
H.R. 5745 enables a science-based evaluation of the remaining structures for the presence of established reef fish communities, and once found, allows for more time for the structures to be converted to a state’s Rigs-to-Reefs program and for the structures to be reefed in place.
Joining Horton on the witness panel in support of the legislation will be Dr. Greg Stunz, Senior Executive Director of the Harte Research Institute (HRI) at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, and Ryan Montegut, Assistant Secretary of Fisheries for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
The Marine Fisheries Habitat Protection Act effectively provides a pathway for saving more of these important artificial habitats for future generations. CSF looks forward to working with Congressmen Mike Ezell, Troy Carter, and Marc Veasey on realizing this important legislation as law.
