Category: Announcement

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So this is where our sards go!

Hands off our Sardines! Trawler watch. Keep these destructive forces from our waters

So this is where our sards go!

I was researching a keyword clash with some of my SEO pages and I came across this post we did in June 2017. It wasn’t a particularly good year for the wards that year. And the pundits were being merrily goaded on by me as I also felt bereaved of the shoals of sards we so impatiently wait for each year. But the post is extremely pertinent as it backs up the visual evidence and AIS tracking showing Chinese and all-sorts of vessels stealing our sardines.

And selling them right back to us!!!

by Sean Lange, June 2017….

Well I don’t know how I got onto this dude’s mailing list, but every week or so, I receive a circular, offering me bulk sardines for sale? Perhaps the morons phished my details from The Sardine News – perhaps they think I deal in sardines ha ha!

I am not sure of the details of the catches either, details are sketchy to say the least, each time. But the list below sure reads two grades of sards for sale. One for bait, and one for canning. And a bunch of other forms of seafood.

Where these sardines are coming from, is anyone’s guess…but we can’t help but feel, that if fishing is going on all over the world, at the scale that reads below, no wonder we are running clean out of fish. And these just could be, our own sards?! Taken from our waters, way out deep, as they head their way towards our coastline. Way out of sight.

Never detected.

Then the fact is, that even if we spot a suspicious vessel, there is nowhere to report it?! (Read all about that here) And so speculation that foul play is underway, is rife. Many suspect our government is selling out on our quota system. Allowing foreign vessels to operate in our waters.  Zuma style corruption runs deep, into every department and level of government.

And if they all thought they could hide the Gupta nuclear bullshit from us, what else did they hide already?

Enjoy the read…

Dear Sir,

Good morning.

We now have several containers’ ready products as below, please kindly advise, thanks.

#13 Agentina Squid 100-150g / pc Processing Material

Product Name: Frozen W/R Agentina Squid for Processing Material purpose

Specification: 100-150g / pc, BQF, Light Purse Seine, Sea Frozen

#12 Black Squid 80-150g / pc Processing Material

Product Name: Frozen W/R Black Squid for Processing Material purpose

Specification: 80-150g / pc, BQF, Light Purse Seine, Sea Frozen

#14 Frozen Crab Meat

Product Name: Frozen Crab Meat  (Winter Crab)

Jumbo Lump, 1lb./bag; Lump, 4lb./bag

#15 Frozen Seafood Mix

Ingredients: Squid Rings/ Tentacles/ Strips/Cut/Head, Octopus Cut/Strip, Baby Octopus, Mussels meat, Shrimps, etc.

Glazing: 0-20%, Package: 24 *1 lb.

#1 Sardine 6-10 pcs/kg Market / Bait

Product Name: Frozen W/R Sardine for Market / Bait purpose

Specification: 6-10 pcs/kg, BQF, Light Purse Seine, Land Frozen

#2 Sardine 6-10 pcs/kg Canning

Product Name: Frozen W/R Sardine for Canning purpose

Specification: 6-10 pcs/kg, BQF, Trawl, Land Frozen

#3 Scad (Horse Mackerel) 8-10 pcs/kg Market

Product Name: Frozen W/R Scad (Horse Mackerel) for Market purpose

Specification: 8-10 pcs/kg, BQF, Light Purse Seine, Land Frozen

Kindly let us know the name of your destination port. More products information including pictures and price will be sent according to your respond.

Thanks and warmly regards.

And there it right there, once again, showing quite clearly, that if it were not for the Chinese boats being apprehended and sent home, there would have definitely NOT been so many sards as there are this year.

And it has only just started!!!

Sardine activity 2020 by OJ
Sharks in the shorebreak during sards season 2020
Sards being netted on the KZN South Coast of South Africa
Sards for sale!
A bumper sardine run 2020 leaves some unanswered but relevant questions about our annual sardine migration and who gets to harvest and who are in lockdown
Sardine action sardine run 2020
Mature Tiger Shark released with satellite tag swims away

A big thank you to OJ Communications and her efforts to bring us the amazing imagery of the local photographers best sardine work of 2020. Justin Klusener features prominently, their pics are all credited at original publication on The Sardine News.

We are on Facebook right here, we run an action-packed YouTube video channel right here.

By The Sardine News

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Tofo OceanFest 2019 starts 28th!

Tofo OceanFest 2019

Tofo OceanFest 2019 starts 28th!

And the annual Tofo OceanFest 2019 starts 28th of December!

As with every year, there is a jam-packed sequence of events and entertainment lined up.


Some old faces, and some new! At Tofo OceanFest 2019.

Fatima’s is right on the beach at Tofo and becomes the epi-centre of the action each year. It gets real busy in Tofo over New Years. The best plan is to park your car and walk the evenings away.

Tickets are available for the duration of the festival, or night by night. Fatima’s guests are all included on the VIP list! For the entire time.

There is a lot to do in and around Tofo in the day time too. Ocean safaris and scuba trips embark all day every day, for the warm clear water and busy reefs off Tofo and Barra.

The fishing is great this time of the year, and you can spend a really interesting and fun day on the Inhambane Bay.

Day on the Bay – Inhambane Estuary – Max 10 up

There is amazingly decent surf here in Tofo, even so out of season like it is now. There are all sorts of sandbanks and things to surf. For beginners and advanced alike. Enquire at reception at Fatima’s.

There is a lot of buzz and excitement about right now as preparations are made for the big show.

Here is a video from last year’s festival action!

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12 July 2019 Sardine Report

2019 Sardine Report featured image by (c) FOX

12 July 2019 Sardine Report

Sardines and surfers have been seen everywhere up and down the Natal South Coast, over the past two weeks. Outsized sea conditions have brought on the KZN winter proper! Your July 2019 Sardine Report…

A special thanks to Ant Fox for the featured image of this post – a school of dolphins enjoying the surf conditions way down south.

Many shoals (over 10 for sure) of genuine sardines have been netted. The price per crate sitting at R1300 or so. Equates to about R43 per kilo. Cheap at the price! But these are merely the so-called pilot shoals. Small pockets of sardines that break ahead of the main shoal, arriving a little earlier in the season and getting everyone warmed up.

The main shoal is reportedly still in the Transkei, making it’s way up the coast slowly. The warm water is troublesome for sardine hunters at the moment, however.

We are going to need a few days of Nor’Easter wind to chill the water back to where it was when the pilot shoals first pulled in. It’s way over 20 degrees right now, where ideal temperature for sardines to come in shallow is about 18 degrees.

At the moment a new low pressure system is kicking in. Warm Berg Winds this morning indicate the arrival of a stiff Sou’Wester later today. It’s gonna blast, and then swing around to offshore mornings with easterly afternoons. A great formula for bringing the water temperature down slowly.

Sharks

Many anglers who have taken up shark fishing from the beach and rocks, are having an absolute blast right now. Big reels. Big baits. Big fish.

Shad

Well unfortunately, DAFF and friends are not coping with the volume as sack loads of shad are leaving the beach. It is unashamed murder as some guys load 50 and more, take that load home, and return for more. This is happening at all the usual spots but Margate Pier and Splash Rock have been particularly busy lately.

Overall the shad have been on the small side.

Litter

It seems to just get worse as piles and piles of rubbish are left at all your favourite beaches. The shift in fisherman behaviour is going to be a massive requirement as it seems to be hardwired into some people that you can, in this day and age of polluted oceans, throw your trash into nature.

But, what a bad name we all get from this indolent behaviour. Please take your trash off the beach and rocks with you. You know who you are!

Surfing

The surf has been cooking the entire time with carparks packed by locals who have been waiting all year for the favourable offshore winds and strong swells. And warm winter water.

Gamefish

Whilst surfing we have encountered some huge GTs, that circled us a while and then basically obliterated a shoal of shad right next to us. Shad were flying everywhere as the huge fish pummelled them in a team effort. Better bring your elephant gun if you want to tackle these fish. Skib-oater Greg Defilippi has released two GTs over 20kgs just recently. Cannot tell you where this was unfortunately, you will have to do some searching yourself!

Whales

It is humpback highway right now on the Natal South Coast and down into the Transkei. As these beautiful mammals make their way up to the calm and warm waters of the African East coast. Where the big mommas suckle their young and avoid eager males chasing them all over the place. Great spectator fun. You can get right up close and personal with the humpbacks, there are limitations, but we can get you in amongst them safely and legally anytime. The whales have arrived in the Bazaruto waters too, and continue quite very far north. They stick around until November and even into December on occasion. The Sardine team will be busy with whales and research in October this 2019, for a few weeks.

And a word from our sponsors…

After a big day out on the ocean, there is nothing much like winding down on a sunset river cruise on the Umzimkulu River in Port Shepstone. This cool little clip was shot by Sardine correspodent Neil Campbell with his new drone…

VIDEO LINK: https://youtu.be/hsDubs5Zo8A

Email Sean on umzimkulu@gmail.com to arrange a ride. Corporates and team builders welcome.

Stay up-to-date with The Sardine News as we search daily for news of the main shoals and the marine life with them, this 2019. You can join the weekly newsletter by entering your email on https://thesardine.co.za.

The 2019 sardine report series is brought to you by the Umzimkulu Marina, MYDO Fishing Lures and The Fishing Pro Shop (Pta).

Catch us on Facebook at http://facebook.com/thesardine.co.za/

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Okavango Music Festival 29th Aug to 1st Sep 2019

The Okavango Music Festival 2019 is gonna run from the 29th of August to the Spring Day, the 1 September this year.

That’s plenty time to start making plans to get to Maun and the Okavango Delta, in Botswana.

There are many ways to travel all that way across Africa. You can fly to Jhb or Gabarone and hop a bus ride. Flying to Maun is super convenient, albeit a little expensive. Driving is a great option. After all, it’s the African landscape you will be cruising through.

The festival is set on Okavango Island. Surrounded by wild life and African scenery. The Okavango Delta system attracts animals in from out of the drought ridden Kalahari. They literally all gravitate here as the outlying waters dry up. Crocodiles abound. Hippos argue with them all day. Elephants come right into camp. Luckily the lions seem to stay further away, but at night, when they roar, it sounds like it’s right outside your tent!

All that said, the Okavango Island will be extremely safe as the noisy and smelly humans dance and party away. The noise will keep the animals at bay. We hope!

But as you can see from this fantastically put together promotional video, people are even jumping in for a refreshing dip. Camping is all over the island and all amenities are catered for as per any festival.

There is a whole lot more information on the http://okmusicfestival.com website. How the festival has involved the local community from the area. And that the festival benefits them in many ways. You will be able to meet the real locals of the delta at the Okavango Music Festival 2019.

There will definitely be a few elephants at the Okavango Music Festival 2019!
Okavango local shot by Cameron Yates

The Sardine crew are going and we have a few vehicles, and spots in vehicles, available.Numbers affect the prices so just get in touch if you are interested. The more the merrier!

Get in touch with Sean on umzimkulu@gmail.com for more information on options for how to get there.

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Crocworld Conservation Centre reintroduces Monthly Lecture Series

The Crocworld Conservation Centre kicks off another series of conservation lectures this year, with the rescuing of baby flamingos

Crocworld reintroduces Monthly Conservation Lecture Series

Crocworld Conservation Centre is delighted to announce the return of its monthly environmental lecture series, which will be hosted at the newly launched Fish Eagle Café.

The first lecture in the series will take place on Saturday, 9th March. It will explore the rescue and rehabilitation of abandoned Lesser Flamingo chicks at Kamfers Dam near Kimberley in the Northern Cape.

According to Birdlife Africa, the Lesser Flamingo is listed as “Near-threatened” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List. This is mainly because of a declining population, few breeding sites, and human-induced threats to the breeding sites.

Kamfers Dam is one of only four breeding localities for Lesser Flamingos on the African continent and the only breeding locality in South Africa. It supports the largest permanent population of the species in Southern Africa, with an estimated population of sixty thousand Lesser Flamingos.

However, due to the severe drought, more than five thousand chicks and eggs were abandoned in January this year. The Kimberley SPCA approached various rehabilitation centres around South Africa, including the uShaka Sea World Animal Health Department, to assist in hand-rearing the Lesser Flamingo chicks.

The Crocworld Conservation Centre kicks off another series of conservation lectures this year, with the rescuing of baby flamingos
The Crocworld Conservation Centre kicks off another series of conservation lectures this year, with the rescuing of baby flamingos

 

Since 27th January staff at uShaka Sea World have worked tirelessly to rehabilitate more than 250 chicks. According to Ann Kunz of the South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR), staff and volunteers have spent hours feeding chicks special feed through syringes and constantly monitoring the birds, many of which were initially in uShaka Sea World’s hospital.

“Last week, chicks were a delicate creamy white colour with some darker down feathers. Most of them are now sporting a pinkish tinge on their feathers with bright red faces and scarlet mouths. This week was a milestone as many of the chicks in special care have left the ICU and are spending a couple of hours each day in the high care enclosure outside, enjoying the sunshine,” said Kunz.

Join the staff from the uShaka Sea World Animal Health Department who will be sharing their fascinating experiences rearing these flamboyant birds at Crocworld Conservation Centre’s recently launched Fish Eagle Café. The restaurant boasts exquisite views, delicious food and great service, under the management of the vastly experienced Executive Chef and manager Morne van Zyl.

Martin Rodrigues, Crocworld Conservation Centre’s manager said, “We are ecstatic that our monthly lecture series is launching with such an interesting subject. We look forward to our guests enjoying a combination of knowledgeable experts in a picturesque venue.”

Registration for the event is at 08h30 with the lecture beginning at 09h00. Tickets will cost R50.00 and include an Early Bird Breakfast with a cup of percolated coffee, as well as entrance into Crocworld’s indigenous gardens, and bird and reptile centres.

For more information or to make a booking, contact Morne van Zyl at the Fish Eagle Café on083 658 7073 or email mvanzyl@cbl.co.za. Alternatively contact Martin Rodrigues on 078 484 1859 or Crocworld Conservation Centre on 039 976 1103.

Catch us on Facebook at http://facebook.com/thesardine.co.za/ where we also keep up a steady stream of news.

Check out our Trips and Travel menu above.

 

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