The many punters who braved the 35 knot beasterly easterly wind, gave it right back, and a real blast was had by all.
Starting early, live music and performances were played out with gusto and enthusiasm, and soon the place filled up completely. Restaurants were filled to the brim, the shops overflowing and the Umzimkulu Barge rocking.
Spillers Wharf and it’s eager visitors gave it right back to the blasting NE wind…
The festivities continue over the coming weekend, watch the video below for a preview of activities to be expected…
The programme for the remaining week down at Spiller’s Wharf…
THURS 25 SEPTEMBER 2014
RESTAURANT LUNCH TIME SPECIALS (Fish and chips R29.95)
FRI 26 SEPTEMBER 2014
RESTAURANT LUNCHTIME AND EVENING SPECIALS
Ugu Film festival in conference room ‘MINERS SHOT DOWN’ – 4.00pm
LIVE MUSIC FOR SUNDOWNERS – TWYLA on piano
Â
SAT 27 NOVEMBER 2014
9am HERITAGE CONSERVANCY WALK – walkers to meet at Spillers, Brian Lange to ferry across to country club, walk along organised trail up to tunnels, with historical landmarks
12 noon PIRATE LANDING AND TREASURE HUNT
LUNCHTIME MUSIC BY CRAIG JACK LEWIS
RESTAURANT SPECIALS
2pm UGU FILM FESTIVAL SCREENING – ‘MY ROOM AT THE CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE’
4pm UGU FILM FESTIVAL SCREENING – ‘DURBAN POISON’
A 2 minute montage of how the finally friendly spring weather works on the KZN South Coast of South Africa. The water along the entire coastline has also cleaned up to “crystal palace” grading and some great catches are being made. Spearos are ecstatic and can be walking around with that dozy grin, in the afternoons. Garrick have made an appearance, alongside the kob…today many anglers could be seen fishing off the Sandspit, the famous rock and surf angling beach in front of the Port Shepstone Country Club.
The accompanying video centres on surfing mainly, as visiting Ozzie Captain. Gallop, Tyler Howard, Ryan Poisson, Raymond Mantis and Shonalanga enjoy a fun early  morning surf at Hibberdene.
The video (and gallery below) also shows an egret feasting on the remains of mullet in the Banana Beach lagoon…where the Pistia invasion is still well underway and the once functioning estuary is under serious siege. More on that here…
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:
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)
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
No person shall, except on authority of a recreational permit obtainable from the South African Postal Services, engage in recreational fishing.
No person shall sell, barter or trade any fish caught through recreational fishing.
No recreational fishing permit is transferable from one person to another.
A persona of a recreational permit shall not use any artificial breathing apparatus, other that a snorkel.
No person shall, engage in fishing, collect or disturb any fish by means of a gaff, club, flail, stick, stone or similar implement.
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.
No person shall engage in the fishing, collection or disturbing of any fish with a speargun in a tidal river or tidal lagoon.
No person shall use any cast net for fishing from sunset to sunrise.
No person shall disturb, catch, kill or be in possession of any dolphin or any part or product derived thereof.
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.
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.
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.
No person shall, except with the authority of a permit, engage in fishing, collecting or disturbing any live or empty pansy shell.
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.
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.
No person shall, without a permit issued by the Director-General, culture any marine organisms.
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
We were on Protea Reef off Shelley Beach, earlier this year, when the trap stick out off the nose screamed that scream. Our guest was on it in a flash,  but the fish just kept going and going,  the little TLD 25 just holding on. Eventually it stopped, and I saw that big couta shake – down at the end of the line.
We were going away now on the tuna sticks so we couldn’t leave our chum slick. Getting all that line back proved to take too long, and soon the thud thud of the taxman was heard knocking at the door.
Heartbreak. It was a really big fish. The shark got everything!
A few drifts later, we crossed paths with the Posthumous team – Louis and Shawn, fishing with Noel Allchin. They were super stoked to have got a 32kg couta – a rare good sized, on Protea Reef.
However. Noels fish proved to be just the start.
In an unprecedented year, more crocodile couta came out, than EVER before…well certainly within my thirty five years of chasing big couta.
After Noels fish was caught, more and more in the thirty kg class size were weighed in, climaxing with the 37kg beast that Andre caught during The Hibberdene Couta Classic this year, to win his 4th boat out of 5 competitions.
Then, the weekend after that comp, the Posthumous gang headed down south and made the best catch of couta of all time…6 fish, smallest 24, biggest 37!
And then this fine fish by the infamous Kistin Moodley…reported in at 40,1kgs!
Crocodile Couta. Kisten Moodley with the best couta of the year – 40,2 kg’s of fish, caught down at Redsands, a small run into the Transkei…
The smaller dart sized fish have not made an appearance at all. Well it’s great for fishing. Almost everybody got a crocodile thus year. Especially those down south.
In the Transkei. At world renowned Redsands. The beasts swim here. Not that they dont swim by Protea and Aliwal, Mtunzini and Leven…but they seem all to be destined to meet up on the wild coast. Its a small area, and the hot spot is even tinier. A thin sliver of reef that petres out into nothing as you drift south. Â Its hard to get bait down there, so time in the morning, closer to Port Edward, is gambled away in search of mackerel – the number one bait for crocodiles.
When Andre caught his 37, he was way down on the south end, far from the overcrowded pinnacles along the strip of rock. He couldn’t get bait that lucky day -and luckily stopped off on his way to the launch, and picked up some frozen mackeral, just in case. The reef was crowded out on his slightly late arrival, and so he wandered past the crowd and put his anchor down at the very end of the reef.
If anyone down there hooked a decent fish, they would have to fight and land it (30 mins), motor back to Port Edward (60 mins to trailer), and then head up to Hibberdene (60mins), to make the weigh in cutoff time of 4pm.
Just after high noon, Andre heard that scream. As a winner of three boats previously, he just knew straight away, that he had it. And when he saw it in the waves, it was confirmed in his mind – this was a crocodile of note. As the fish landed on the deck after the gaf went in, the tiny treble that was holding everything together just fell out onto the floor?!
Fourth boat for Andre!
However, to take a more cautious perspective…or scientific approach to the phenomenon of these huge fish coming out in such numbers this year…
“The last animal of any species, on it’s way to extinction, is the toughest, biggest, wiliest survivor of them all”
The last elephant…
The last rhino…
The last lion…
The last crocodile…
Let’s hope this is not the case with our beloved Scomberomerous Commersoni (King mackerel, couta, tanguiguie, spanish mackeral, narrow-barred mackeral…), but it could be…and we need to start thinking about this happening to all of our fish species, before too long.
It’s been controlled chaos as so many people jumped in, all with good intentions, to help the Banana Beach estuary (Koshwana River), and it’s fishy residents, survive the water lettuce (Pistia) invasion. First there were the local surfers – who started removing the invaders, and rescuing dying fish by running them over and into the shore break. After a few weekends, the water on the sea side of the bridge was cleared, and some fish were looking good.
Then came herbicide?! It seemed to burn through strips but was not effective at all, overall. And more fish were seen dead after this happened. Bigger fish, and tilapia, who can normally handle low oxygen conditions…went belly up.
Then there was the introduction of an airborne bio control agent (weevil) but the wrong species of alien plant was identified, and so that effort bombed.
None of these methods proved successful at all. The water lettuce dominated any attempts to be removed. 99% Coverage.
Then along came Environmental Affairs – represented by Ms. Joanne Hope, an entomologist, who got right involved. After visiting Ground Zero, Ms. Hope was witness to the many dead and dying fish, gasping for air – and trying to escape the oxygen starved water. Some were seen still flapping, a few metres away, on the rocks as they tried a last ditch effort for air. The water lettuce invasion was still blazing, but streaks of brown (dying plants) could be seen, from the herbicide. The dead plants were sinking to the bottom, adding to the already challenging ecological problem. Fortunately, the rope trick, deployed by the surfers, strung across the water at the old bridge…kept the water lettuce at bay, in the area on the sea side of the bridge.
Ms. Hope immediately set out gathering facts and preparing a more carefully thought through recovery plan. She has been liaising with the many people who are concerned and now involved with the problem, and has communicated with Mr. Peter Massyn (EKZN) and Mr. Charlton. Mr. Massyn reports that he has issued a directive to the local municipality, to address the blatant sewage problem. Sewage flows freely into the river, as development has outstripped the capability of the system. Sewage also flows across the main road through the Banana Beach area. This has been the case for years. Since water lettuce thrives on sewage in it’s water, it makes sense that this could have been a major factor in the invasion. Mr Massyn has advised the municipality, that the current sewage system be moved.
Investigation has been carried out as to the source of the water borne epidemic. Satellite imagery has been studied, and many specialists have been consulted. Given that none of the local farm dams in the area are, or have been infested lately, it makes sense then, that the water lettuce could have come through the sewage system or storm water drainage systems servicing the Banana Beach residential area.
From Ms. Hope…
” I have come to an agreement with everyone and have suggested that 1) no more herbicide to be sprayed, 2) manual removal of plants to continue at estuary mouth, 3) biocontrol agents to be released along the edges of the river a little upstream from where the manual removing will be taking place and 4) an inspection of both the Koshwana and Ntshambili rivers be done to try identify the source of the infestations in both rivers (none of the farm dams appear to be the culprits).
So there you have it and all the while more fish will die :(”
Measures that have been achieved since the involvement of Environmental Affairs are as follows:
The correct from of airborne bio-agent has been requested and could be available within two or three weeks
Working for the Coast and other volunteer groups have continued with manual removal, and any interested groups or organisations are encouraged to help this way (the removed water lettuce should not be burnt as this kills the Neohydronomus weevil)
Herbicide is not being used anymore
So it’s not all bad, but certainly is not good either, as so many dead fish litter the Banana Beach area. Dead fish are all over the beach and rocks, and even way up the road…dropped there by people chancing a free meal or souvenir. It’s going to take time and resources. We also have to hope that the municipality, the only people who can really make all the difference, as it is in their portfolio, do so. The sewage plant has been a problem for many years with the water in the Banana Beach river sometimes being so polluted, the stench permeates the air for miles around. The fact that sewage has been pouring across the main road through Banana Beach, for years now, leaves the leaving of the responsibility to the current municipality, a worriesome prospect. We can just hope that the involvement of all these interested groups – EKZN, Environmental Affairs and local entities as volunteered, we can get these ecologically important rivers, back into a functioning state.