Sharks on the line
Tamzyn works with recreational catch-and-release shark fishermen to collect fishery data, learn about post-release survival rates of different species and educate anglers about how to give these animals the best chance of survival.
Tamzyn Zweig
Having grown up in the ‘deep south’ of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa’s Western Cape, I think I was always destined to become an advocate for the conservation of the creatures I share my surroundings with. My playgrounds were unspoiled beaches, dunes and coastal fynbos forests. I learned to swim before I could walk and quickly developed a fascination for the otherworlds below the waves. I recall winter days when I snorkelled in the cold water of False Bay for an hour at a time and came out of the water shivering and blue. Then I’d spend hours in...
South Africa's recreational shark fishery: understanding impacts and importance (RecFishSA)
To provide an up-to-date quantification of organised recreational elasmobranch fishing in South Africa. Through scientific quantification the effects of stressors species-specific post-release survival rates there is the potential of altering rules and regulations in the club angling fishery. The results of the project will be submitted to the Department of Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) towards better co-management of recreational and commercial fisheries in South Africa.
As recreational angler permit holders far exceed commercial fishing rights holders, the quantification of species overlaps and species-specific post-release survival rate of caught and released elasmobranchs is invaluable toward co-management strategies.
In 2010 the South African Shark Conservancy (SASC) was invited by SASAA to attend the World Angling Championship in Langebaan. SASAA president, Pierre du Plessis expressed SASAA’s desire to become involved with SASC in order to minimise impacts and gather valuable data towards better understanding and better management of elasmobranch populations in South Africa. To date SASC has attended six competitions and tagged 226 elasmobranchs.
The aims of this project are to quantify:
- The socio-economic value of the fishery.
- The knowledge, behaviour and attitude of recreational elasmobranch fishers in SA through targeted surveys.
- Species overlap between recreational and commercial fisheries for improving co-management strategies.
- Catch per unit effort fluctuations and changes in species composition over time.
- Species-specific metabolic and physiological responses to angling stressors.
The outcomes will include:
- A training programme to amend angler behaviour and mitigate impacts on elasmobranchs.
- An online database to promote angler involvement in science, conservation and management.
- Improved scientific understanding of fishery-specific impacts.