Collapse of linefish stocks between Cape Hangklip and Walker Bay, South Africa

Abstract

The state of the linefishery between Cape Hangk]ip and Walker Bay on the Cape south coast, South Africa, is assessed. The coast was subdivided into 20 "beats" to provide high spatial resolution on catch and effort of the shore-based recreational fishery. An observer recorded the number of anglers in each fishery sector, and their catch, during shore patrols over a two-year period. Catch-and-effort data for the commercial boat-based fishery were obtained from an historical database at the turn of last century and from the extant National Marine Linefish System database. Catch per unit effort (cpue) of shore-anglcrs was low and many of the species caught earlier in the century have disappeared from catches. Compared to the early records, contemporary commercial linefish cplle had dropped by approximately 80%, despite a greater fishing capacity. It is argued that most targeted stocks have been overexploited (notwithstanding indications of environmental change) and many are severely depleted. Poor management of the fishery, including a lack of control of commercial effolt and inadequate enforcement, contributed to overexploitation.

The Role of Estuaries in South African Fisheries: Economic Importance and Management Implications

“…It is already evident that the high national fishing effort has taken its toll on fish stocks. This has been quantified in coastal fisheries, where shore-angling catches per unit effort have declined markedly over the past two decades (Bennett and Attwood 1993, Attwood and Farquhar 1999, Griffiths 2000, as well as in some estuaries.…”

Perceptions of subsistence and informal fishers in South Africa regarding the management of living marine resources

“…This was stated clearly in the household surveys and the focus-group sessions where the fishers felt strongly that current limits to harvesting were not meeting their basic needs. This perception does, however, need to be balanced against the fact that many resources are currently overfished (Attwood and Farquhar 1999, Hauck and Sweijd 1999, Griffiths 2000, van Zyl 2000 and that an explicit intent of the MLRA is to ensure sustainable utilization of resources (Anon. 1997).…”

Recommendations for the management of subsistence fisheries in South Africa

“…First, most of the resources have been over-exploited, e.g. linefish and abalone Haliotis midae (Attwood and Farquhar 1999, Hauck and Sweijd, 1999, Penney et al 1999, Griffiths 2000. In some instances informal/subsistence use of the resources overlaps with the other formal fisheries sectors, but because it has not previously been factored into the fishery management strategy, it represents an additional unaccounted catch and in many cases this has contributed to unsustainable use and resource depletion .…”