Sardine season is approaching
There are currently many shoals of various species of baitfish visible off the KZN coastline.
It is highly likely that some small fast moving pockets of sardines are already present off the KZN coast and nettings by the commercial seine netters may take place during the coming weeks.
That’s the report back from the KZN Sharks Board that undertook its first monitoring flight of the 2018 sardine season on Thursday, 31 May. “There are currently many shoals of various species of baitfish visible off the KZN coastline, especially noticeable during periods of calm sea conditions,” it said.
“It is not possible to determine the different species of these baitfish from the air, however we have been sampling some of these shoals and have found that they consist of mainly of mackerel, East Coast round herring and torpedo scads, among others. It is also not uncommon to find occasional sardines mixed in among the shoals during this time of the year.”
READ ALSO: Sardine run 2017 in Toti
The board’s main interest in the annual run is to ensure that any shoals of sardines that are accompanied by large groups of predators are monitored and that the shark safety gear is managed accordingly to minimise any negative environmental impact of the gear.
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