Author: Sean Lange

Good fishing at Hibberdene continues…

Shad and garrick created all the buzz on Hibberdene Beach this weekend…many fish came out. With the season fast coming to a close (1st October), the shad, were coming out by the hundreds…and the large crowds of fishermen making it difficult for the Ezemvelo guys to keep up. Many anglers could be seen flaunting the law. Which is: 4 fish per person. With a license!

The law is there to protect the marine resource that we all take so much out of…don’t be part of the problem, be part of the solution. Obey the restrictions!

Below is taken from KZN Wildlife…penned up by JayWay…you could also go to their website and check it all out more comprehensively.

“Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife would like to advise all recreational anglers that the long awaited changes to the recreational fishing regulations have now been promulgated in terms of Government Gazette No 27453.

These new regulations apply to recreational shore based and ski boat fisherman and affect the bag and size limits of certain fish species that may be caught.

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife will be producing and distributing awareness pamphlets highlighting these changes, in an effort to assist anglers with understanding and interpreting these new regulations.

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife staff will be enforcing these new regulations with immediate effect and appeals to all anglers to familiarize themselves with these new regulations. While every effort will be given by staff to assist anglers, the onus will be on the individuals to ensure that they abide by these new laws.

The promulgation of these regulations were deemed necessary by the then Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism , Mr Valli Moosa, who declared an emergency in the linefish sector. This was done in accordance with section 16 of the Marine Living Resources Act, which allows the Minister to invoke emergency measures to rebuild fish stocks.

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife welcomes these new regulations, as they are designed to afford protection to our dwindling marine resources while ensuring equal and long term usage by all.”

New Recreational Line Fish Regulations / Gov Gazette No 27453 6th April 2005
Quick Reference

Changes

Categories Changed – There are only two species categories that apply to the recreational line fisherman. These are:

1. Prohibited Category – May not fish for, be in possession of, or sell the following:
   • Basking shark (new inclusion)
   • Brindle bass
   • Coelacanth (new inclusion)
   • Great white shark
   • Natal wrasse
   • Pipe fish & Seahorses (new inclusion)
   • Potato bass
   • Sawfishes
   • Seventy four
   • Whale shark (new inclusion)
2. Permitted Category Annexure 7 ( Recreational Fishing) – May fish for and be in possession of subject to bag limits, size limits and closed seasons. MAY NOT SELL CATCH

• See species category Annexure 7 (Government Gazette No 27453 6th April 2005)

Daily Bag Limits Changed:

• 10 species per person per day irrespective of species caught. (applies to Shore & Boat anglers)
• Annexure 7 Species that are not listed fall under the 10 bag limit.
• Listed Species that have a bag limit of over 10 do not apply to this daily bag limit. (Mullet x50)

Bag limits – Following species have had their bag limits changed:

Important: Kob caught from a boat at sea in KZN – 5 per person per day of which 4 or all 5 can be between 40 – 110 cm’s & 1 only may be over 110cm’s

Kob caught from the shore & estuaries East of Cape Agulas ( applies to KZN) – 1 per person per day. 60cm’s

Shad – 4 per person per day in open season (1st December – 30th September)

• Rays, Sharks & Skates (Carteligenouse fish) – 1 specimen per species per person per day.
• Yellowbelly rockcod – 1 per person per day.
• Kob caught from boat in KZN – 5 per person per day of which 4 or all 5 can be between 40 – 110 cm’s & 1 may be over 110cm’s
• Kob caught from estuaries and shore – East Cape Agulhas (applies to KZN) 1 per person per day 60cm’s
• Soldier (santer) – 5 per person per day.
• Galjoen – 2 per person per day.
• Bronze bream – 2 per person per day.
• Garrick – 2 per person per day.
• Shad – 4 per person per day.
• West coast steenbras – 1 per person per day.
• Carpenter (silver fish) – 4 per person per day.
• Geelbek – 2 per person per day.
• Poenskop – 1 per person per day.
• Red steenbras – 1 per person per day.
• Dageraad – 1 per person per day.
• Englishmen – 1 per person per day.
• Red stumpnose – 1 per person per day.
• Roman – 2 per person per day.
• Scotsman – 1 per person per day.
• White mussel cracker – 2 per person per day.
• White steenbras – 2 per person per day.

Bag Limits Introduced – The following species are no longer unlimited. Have now had bag limits imposed:

• Mullet – 50 per person per day.
• Pinky – 10 per person per day.
• Karanteen – 10 per person per day.
• Steentjie – 10 per person per day.
• Fransmadam – 10 per person per day.

Size Limits

Important:

Kob caught from a boat in KZN – you may only be in possession of 4 between 40cm’s – 110cms & 1 of over 110cm’s / Total bag limit 5 or you may have all 5 between 40cm’s – 110cm’s .

Kob caught from the shore or estuary East Cape Agulas (applies to KZN) – you may only be in possession of 1 of 60cm’s or over

Size Limits Increased – The following species size limits have increased:

• Red steenbras – 60 cm’s
• Dageraad – 40cm’s
• Scotsman – 40cm’s
• West coast steenbras – 60cm’s
• Carpenter (silver fish) – 35cm’s
• Yellowbelly rock cod – 60cm’s
• Catface (Spotted rock cod) – 50cm’s
• Kob caught from shore & estuaries East of Cape Agulas (applies to KZN) – 60cm’s x 1 per person per day

Size Limits Introduced – Following species now have size limits imposed:

• Englishmen – 40cm’s

Closed Seasons Changed– Following species have had there closed seasons changed:

• Shad – Reduced by 1 month (1st October – 30th November)

Species Not Listed On Permitted Species List Annexure 7

• Rock cods not listed on the permitted species list have a bag limit of 5 per species per day.(Can not be over and above total daily bag limit of 10 species)
• All other species not listed have no size limit, but form part of the daily bag limit of 10
  

  Basking Shark Brindle Bass Coelacanth Great White Shark Natal Wrasse

  Pipefish and Sea Horses Potato Bass Sawfishes Seventy Four Whale Shark

   

  Anchovies	None	None
  Baardman(tasslefish, bellman)	40cm	5
  Banded Galjoen	None	5
  Bill Fish(marlin, sailfish)	None	5
  Blacktail	20cm	5
  Blue Hottentot	None	5
  Bronze Bream	30cm	2
  Cape knifejaw	None	5
  Cape Stumpnose	20cm	5
  Carpenter(silverfish)	35cm	4
  catfish Rockcod	50cm	5
  Chub Mackerel	None	None
  Cutlassfish(walla walla)	None	None
  Dageraad	40cm	1
  Dane	None	5
  Englishman	40cm	1
  Fransmadam	None	10
  Galjoen	35cm	2/closed season 15 October-end February
  Garfishes	None	None
  Garrick(leerfis)	70cm	2
  Geelbek(cape salmon	60cm	2
  Glassies	None	None
  Hake	None	5
  Halfbeaks	None	None
  Horse Mackerel(maasbanker)	None	None
  Hottentot	22cm	10
  John Brown	None	5
  Kingfishes	None	5
  kingklip	None	1
  King Mackerel	None	10
  Kob caught from a boat at sea(Cape Agulhas to Umtamvuna)	50cm	5 but may only be in possession of one Kob greater than 110cm per day
  Kob caught from a boat at sea(KwaZulu-Natal)	40cm	5 but may only be in possession of one Kob greater than 110cm per day
  Kob caught in estuaries and and from the shore(east of Cape Agulhas)	60cm	1
  Kob caught in estuaries and from shore(west of Cape Agulhas)	50cm	5
  Karanteen	15cm	10
  large Spot Pompano(wave garrick)	None)	5
  Leopard Cat Shark	None	1
  Mullets	None	50
  Natal Knifejaw(cuckoo bass)	None	5
  Natal Stumpnose(yellow bream)	25cm	5
  Pinky	7.5cm	10
  Poenskop(black mussel cracker)	50cm	1
  Queen Mackerel	None	10
  Ragged Tooth Shark	None	1
  Red steenbras(copper steenbras)	60cm	1 closed season 1 October-30 November
  Red Stumpnose(miss lucy)	30cm	1
  River bream(perch)	25cm	5
  River Snapper(rock salmon)	40cm	5
  Roman	30cm	2
  Soldier(santer)	30cm	5
  Shad(elf)	30cm	4 closed season1 October-30 November
  Sardines(pilchards and Red Eye)	None	None
  Sauries	None	None
  Scads	None	None
  Scotsman	40cm	1
  Slinger	25cm	5
  Snoek(Cape snoek)	60cm	10
  Southern Pompano	none	5
  Spotted Grunter	40cm	5
  Spotted Gully Shark	None	1
  Springer	None	5
  Steenjie	None	10
  Stonebream	None	5
  Striped Cat Shark	None	1
  Swordfish(broadbill)	25kg	5
  Squid(chokka)	None	20
  Tunas(tunny	None	10
  Albacore(longfin tuna)	none	10
  Bigeye tuna	3.2kg	10
  Bluefin Tuna	6.4kg	10
  Yellowfin Tuna	3.2kg	10
  West Coast Steenbras	60cm	1
  White edge Rockcod(captain fine)	40cm	5
  White musselcracker(brusher, cracker)	60cm	2
  White Steenbras(pignose grunter)	60cm	1
  White Stumpnose	25cm	10
  Wolfherring	None	None
  Yellowbelly Rockcod	60cm	1
  Yellowtail	None	10
  Zebra	30cm	5

MARINE RECREATIONAL FISHING GENERAL REGULATIONS

1. No person shall, except on authority of a recreational permit obtainable from the South African Postal Services, engage in recreational fishing.
2. No person shall sell, barter or trade any fish caught through recreational fishing.
3. No recreational fishing permit is transferable from one person to another.
4. A persona of a recreational permit shall not use any artificial breathing apparatus, other that a snorkel.
5. No person shall, engage in fishing, collect or disturb any fish by means of a gaff, club, flail, stick, stone or similar implement.
6. No person shall engage in fishing, except for octopus, cuttlefish or squid, by the jerking of a hook or jig in the sea jigging), with the intention of impaling the fish thereon.
7. No person shall engage in the fishing, collection or disturbing of any fish with a speargun in a tidal river or tidal lagoon.
8. No person shall use any cast net for fishing from sunset to sunrise.
9. No person shall disturb, catch, kill or be in possession of any dolphin or any part or product derived thereof.
10. No person shall, except with the authority of a permit, disturb, catch or kill any whales at any time, or approach closer than 300 m to a whale.
11. No person shall, except with the authority of a permit, attract by using bait or any other means, any great white shark, or catch, attempt to catch, kill or attempt to kill any great white shark, or purchase, sell or offer for sale any part or product derived thereof.
12. No person shall, except with the authority of a permit, damage, uproot, collect or land or attempt to damage, uproot, collect or land any live or dead coral.
13. No person shall, except with the authority of a permit, engage in fishing, collecting or disturbing any live or empty pansy shell.
14. No person shall, except with the authority of a permit, engage in fishing, collecting or removing any aquatic plants, except for own use and in quantities not exceeding 10 kg aquatic plants, however, 1 kg dead shells or 50 kg shellgrit per day is permitted without a permit.
15. No person shall, except with the authority of a permit, damage, pick, uproot, collect or land or attempt to damage, pick, uproot, collect or land any live or dead sea fans or sea pens.
16. No person shall, without a permit issued by the Director-General, culture any marine organisms.
17. No person shall, except with the authority of a permit, catch any fish or collect any aquatic plants for commercial purposes.

For more information phone: (021) 402-3911 or consult the Amended Regulations (R24 of 14 January 2000) in terms of the Marine Living Resources Act, 1998