Season is open for shad
Fishing regulations are in place to control the number of shad caught.
There are a limited number of shad in the ocean, and if anglers catch more than can naturally be replaced, over-fishing occurs.
To prevent this, the South African Association for Marine Biological Research explains that fishing regulations are in place to control the number of shad caught.
• Minimum size limit: 30cm total length. This allows fish to breed at least once before being caught and protects them during their fastest growth stage.
• Bag limit: four per person per day. Scientists determine how many fish can be harvested safely, ensuring enough remain for everyone, especially when the fish are ‘on the bite’.
• Closed season: October 1 to November 30. This protects shad during the peak of their breeding season.
• No selling of shad caught in KZN. This safeguards adult shad that migrate to KZN each year to breed.
Shad – also known as elf – is one of South Africa’s most popular angling fish, pursued by hundreds of thousands of anglers. Their streamlined bodies and silvery-green colouring make them perfectly adapted for life in the ocean.
Although shad occur across warm temperate waters of the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the South African stock is distinct. They occur in sandy and rocky areas from the shore down to 100m.
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