Sewage
Whaling
Oil
Marine Life
MARINE LIFE
Overfishing
Overfishing in South Africa has become a rather serious problem. Scientists have been making
a study of the different fish stocks that we have and have said that we need to exercise caution
as to the amount of fish that we have been removing from the sea, because should we cause some species to become extinct. Then we will lose millions of rands in the fishery market, as well as put thousands of people out of jobs. Two years ago in 1999 the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism drew up the "Marine Living Resources Act". The agreement has been in operation for two years and it has proved very difficult to monitor because the Marine & Coastal Mangement simply does not have the manpower. Major fishing companies are exploiting this fact and are making major contributions to the overfishing problem in South Africa.
The fish that are affected by overfishing are:
Pilchard and Anchovy fishing, are very varying, because their numbers increase and decrease from year to year. The studies have shown that the catches these days are nowhere near where they were in the late 1980's.
Hake was badly affected by over fishing from foreign fleets in the 1960's and 1970's, but the numbers are making a slow but sure recovery from the blow. The amount of fish that is allowed to be caught has risen from 120 000 tons per year to 150 000 tons per year.
Agulhas Sole catches have remained the same, but there does not seem to be an improvement.
West Coat Rock Lobster This animal is still being severely poached at very high levels
that could in the long run destabilise populations.
The South Coast Rock Lobster The numbers here have suffered badly from poaching as well, but the fishing level seems to be stable for the time being.
Abalone, (perlemoen) This species has suffered extremely badly from poaching, and some scientists reckon on the species being wiped out completely in the next four years. The resource still sems to be far too accessible to the general public, and unfortunately is going to have to be heavily policed.
Linefish All these fish are being heavily over-exploited. The fish that have been
worst affected are: steenbras, kob, Natal wrasse, potato bass, brindle bass, seventyfour. There has been a very suspicious increase in the number of sea-food restaurants in South Africa. Squid Is caught for bait, but more and more for the calamari industry, and the numbers are dropping rather quickly as a result. Tuna This resource is being harvested mostly by high tech fleets from other countries
| Pilchard and Anchovy fishing, are very varying, because their numbers increase and decrease from year to year. The studies have shown that the catches these days are nowhere near where they were in the late 1980's. |
| Hake was badly affected by over fishing from foreign fleets in the 1960's and 1970's, but the numbers are making a slow but sure recovery from the blow. The amount of fish that is allowed to be caught has risen from 120 000 tons per year to 150 000 tons per year. |
| Agulhas Sole catches have remained the same, but there does not seem to be an improvement. |
| West Coat Rock Lobster This animal is still being severely poached at very high levels that could in the long run destabilise populations. |
| The South Coast Rock Lobster The numbers here have suffered badly from poaching as well, but the fishing level seems to be stable for the time being. |
| Abalone, (perlemoen) This species has suffered extremely badly from poaching, and some scientists reckon on the species being wiped out completely in the next four years. The resource still sems to be far too accessible to the general public, and unfortunately is going to have to be heavily policed. |
| Linefish All these fish are being heavily over-exploited. The fish that have been worst affected are: steenbras, kob, Natal wrasse, potato bass, brindle bass, seventyfour. There has been a very suspicious increase in the number of sea-food restaurants in South Africa. |
| Squid Is caught for bait, but more and more for the calamari industry, and the numbers are dropping rather quickly as a result. |
| Tuna This resource is being harvested mostly by high tech fleets from other countries |