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In South Africa the law (Marine Living Resources
Act or MLRA) that prescribes the way in which our marine resources
are exploited and managed states, as its mission statement:
“To provide for the conservation of the
marine ecosystem, the long-term sustainable utilisation and
protection of certain marine living resources; and for these
purposes to provide for the exercise of control over marine living
resources in a fair and equitable manner to the benefit of all
citizens of South Africa; and to provide for matters connected
herewith.”
Whilst commercial fisheries are managed according
to best available scientific information, the enforcement of the
laws is often problematic due to lack of resources, and the large
extent of our coastline and Exclusive
Economic Zone (EEZ). Some of our fish stocks, such as pelagic
schooling fish (sardines and anchovies) and demersal
species (Cape hake, Merluccius spp.) are considered
to be well managed and in a healthy condition, and in April 2004
the South African hake trawl fishery received a Marine
Stewardship Council (MSC) certification. However, many years
of overexploitation and poor management (often in ignorance) have
caused the abundance of many of our other fish species to drop
to dangerously low levels. This has prompted the announcement
of a “State of Emergency” in the linefishery in December
2000 by the authorities.
:: Linefish of the Day
Amongst our most sought after fish species are linefish.
These fish include species that are targeted from beaches and
boats for recreational purposes and those that are caught in large
numbers by fishers with commercial fishing rights. Unfortunately
our linefish stocks are in a worse shape than any other fishery,
with the populations of many species considered to be overexploited
or even collapsed.
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