Not so individual, go read the article.

The rigs have attracted very large numbers of fish not previously seen in the gulf. In most instances oil rigs are in flat sediment ares which are effectively under water deserts, virtually uninhabited by fish.

Hasbeen,
Yes, of course any structure that offers protection is instantly occupied in flat bottom country.
But, even the flat areas harbour marine life but unfortunately, trawling has altered the ecology under water as much as mining & grazing does on land.
This only happens because suburbia wants food at their fingertips at any given time & in large quantities.
Cut the human population & much of the raping of the Planet will cease.
Re SteeleRedux's remark on building a resort to hide the oil rigs, I can only shake my ugly head in disbelief !

individual,

What do you think of my idea to evolve a fish-human population around oil rigs that looks like Hasbeen?

That is not the case in a mooring area such as Shute harbor individual. Anyone silly enough to drag a net through a mooring area would not be fishing for long.

Haven't you done some diving individual? If so you should understand the problem with location & orientation under water. Fish like orientation also, & vertical structures offer the best opportunity for such orientation. Jetty piles & oil rig legs are perfect for this.

When the yacht sat in Shute harbor for periods of a couple of weeks, or a month, the longer it sat in the one place the larger the schools of small fish that would gather under it, using it for orientation. My wife used to feed them, mostly bread scraps, & they became so schooled in this, that after a week or so they would see the bread in the air, dash out & be under it as it landed in the water. She could even recognise some of them by their colouring or scars.

Then we had a bad storm. For a few days after we had little clumps of sea weed torn off their rocks drifting past in the tidal flow, most with a couple or more very small fish using them for orientation & cover. My wife was horrified when "her" fish would dash out & eat these smaller fish. She could not hold them in the same affection again.

Anyone silly enough to drag a net through a mooring area would not be fishing for long.
Hasbeen,
yes, that's why the fish are there, no trawlers !

Hasbeen & individual,

I guess you two are looking at celebrating your 120th birthdays over the coming months.

It's certainly sounds like it!