Artificial reefs the answer to fishing ban?

Offshore fishing along Central Florida’s East Coast is taking a beating with the fishing bans being extended, all but closing popular fishing grounds.

Some help, however, could be coming off the coast of Volusia County, in the form of artificial reefs.

Many boats head out each morning from Ponce Inlet, trying to find the freshest catch of the day.

Local fishermen have been following the ban on red snapper, and now all that’s waiting to expand that ban to 70 other fish species is the signature of the U.S. Secretary of Commerce.

The ban includes federal waters between three and 200 miles from the coastline.

Volusia County leaders, however, have given the green light to spend as much as $2 million to create more artificial reefs in the waters before reaching that off-limits area.

That money will come from the county Port Authority’s budget reserve fund.

The thinking is this: There are just 13 artificial reefs off the Volusia coast, and they will most likely become extremely popular with the ban in place.

Doubling the number of artificial reefs could help relieve that stress.

It would also create even more spawning ground for fish species.

The city of New Smyrna Beach kicked off the idea, when it asked the county to remove stockpiled concrete reef materials that had been sitting since June 2004 -- when the last artificial reef was constructed.

The project would not solve all the problems, but some said they see it as a step in the right direction.

The areas would also provide extra spawning grounds, and may generate more local revenue.

According to Volusia County Manager Jim Dineen, studies show a $138 return on investment for every dollar spent on building artificial reefs.

It may not be much relief for those hoping to snag a prized red snapper, but new reefs could go far in relieving congestion over the 12 existing sites that are certainly going to get more crowded.