Tagging News News from the ORI Cooperative Fish Tagging Project •Number 33
•Published August 2020
•Results from 2019
From the Tagging Officer... Gareth Jordaan Welcome to the 33rd edition of the Tagging News. For more than three decades the Tagging News has communicated the results of the cooperative efforts between fishery scientists and anglers, and has successfully promoted ethical angling, while tracking the movement patterns and growth rates of some of our common linefish species caught around the southern African coast. In 2019 we had a remarkable 263 new members join the ORI Tagging Project, 127 more than the number that joined in 2018. This means that more anglers understand the importance of tag and release and want to contribute to the research and conservation of our linefish. Despite the increase in new members, our total number of fish tagged (9 928) and recaptured (750) during 2019 was the lowest it has been in recent years. This is mainly due to lower tagging effort by our scientists in the Pondoland Marine Protected Area, as well as the website being “offline” from August to December 2019 due to maintenance issues. This unfortunately resulted in members not being able to receive new tags over this period and consequently much less tagging took place. Fortunately, most of these issues have now been resolved and the website is back up and functioning. The total number of fish tagged and recaptured on the project to date is 341 364 and 20 777 respectively, a truly remarkable achievement! Kevin Humphreys was our top tagger for 2019, with an impressive 387 fish tagged. As for the recaptures, Kobus Niehaus had 29 (6%) of the fish he has tagged overall, recaptured (see table on page 6). Remember, it’s not always about the number of fish you tag but rather about the way in which you handle and tag them! We encourage all our members to watch our much improved instructional tagging videos (thanks to SAAMBR and Ocean Planet Media) which can be viewed via our ORI TAG Facebook page, our website and/or the SAAMBR YouTube channel (please watch them and share them with your fishing buddies). Please record the sex of any sharks or rays that you tag or recapture (the males have visible external claspers). Please record this information in the comments section of your tag card and/or submission form, or by ticking the box on the new tag cards.
(page 5), visualising over 35 years of data from the De Hoop Marine Protected Area (page 20) and news of an exciting new Fish App that is currently being developed (page3). Also in store for you is a selection of amazing recaptures. Our focus species this year is the spotted grunter, which I am sure many of you will enjoy reading about. Our 26 Facebook posts in 2019 reached about 175 000 people. This means that our greater presence on social media (follow us on Facebook at ORI TAG) and the new tagging website (www.oritag.org.za) has not only increased the number of anglers interested in joining the project, but has also helped people to understand the importance of our research. We sincerely hope that you enjoy this new and modern version of the Tagging News. Unfortunately, the cost of printing and posting magazines to all our members has simply become prohibitive. We would like to say a big THANK YOU to all our tagging members for your ongoing support. The past three months of the COVID-19 pandemic have been particularly difficult for everyone but now that we are able to fish again hopefully you can all get a chance to go fishing and tag some great fish!
Stay safe out there, and we wish you tight lines and happy tagging!
A quick link to marine recreational fishing regulations Anglers often find it difficult to find the fishing regulations. There has been no change to the Linefish regulations in South Africa since April 2005. However, access to the regulations has become increasingly difficult for a variety of reasons. To help anglers get easy access to the fishing regulations we have decided to make them accessible on our SAAMBR website. The simple to use document is smartphone compatible – so you can download it onto your phone and keep it for quick access when you go fishing. Click here to go to marine recreational fishing regulations.
Once again, South Africa’s national fish, the galjoen, was the top tagged fish in 2019 (1 089) and overall. The dusky shark returned to the top 10 species tagged with a total of 452 tag releases. This is because of the large number of smaller individuals that were tagged last year along the KwaZulu-Natal coast. The raggedtooth shark also rightfully took its place back in the top 10, and was joined by two old timers, the white steenbras and elf/shad who haven’t been in the top 10 since 2017 and 2015 respectively (see figure on page 4). This edition of the Tagging News has some great articles on movements of dusky kob in the Breede estuary
2
Cover photo: Andrew Gericke and his son Morgan with a Dageraad that was tagged and released.
At last, a Fish App for anglers! Bruce Mann In May 2019, ORI signed a contract with an App developer to develop a fish identification application (Fish App) suitable for download on a cellular phone (like those currently available for birds, snakes, trees, etc.). This app is being produced for marine recreational anglers to improve angler fish identification and increase awareness about South African marine linefish species. If successful, we hope to expand the Fish App later to include other non-linefish species, to cover interest from the diving community. Our fish biologists will supply all the content for the App and the developer will create, manage, and sell the App at a nominal cost. All profits from the sale of the App will be split between the developer and ORI. Importantly, funds received by ORI will go into helping to finance the ORI-Cooperative Fish Tagging Project (ORI-CFTP).
To date we have compiled detailed species profiles for 250 common linefish species from 77 families using simple, easy to understand text. Colour images for each species have been obtained from a wide range of sources including from Rudy van der Elst’s book on common sea fishes (mostly pictures of dead fish), Dennis King’s reef guide book (underwater fish pictures), Phil and Elaine Heemstra’s coastal fishes book (fish paintings) and a host of voluntary contributions from anglers (mostly of live fish out of the water). Sketches of fish families were obtained from Rudy van der Elst and Phil and Elaine Heemstra’s books. Simple distribution maps were compiled for each species using up-to-date information. We have even developed a fish identification smart search that seems to be working reasonably well. Length/weight relationships were compiled for each species using the most accurate The basic structure of the Fish App includes a detailed information available, mostly taken from FishBase. fish guide (photographs and text), a distribution map for Finally, the linefish regulations have been summarised each species, a fish identification tool (smart search), for each individual species based on current gazetted fish family identification sketches, a legislation. length/weight calculator, and the current fishing regulations for each species. The developer now has all of the We hope that the Fish App will be information they need to create the App. welcomed by both the angling community Draft versions of the App will be carefully and the responsible management checked and tested before it is released agencies, and it will hopefully have for sale. It is hoped that the ORI Fish App a positive effect on increasing angler will become available for sale in late 2020. awareness and compliance. It is planned We will certainly notify members of the that the Fish App will be regularly updated ORI-CFTP as soon as it becomes available! to include any changes in the fishing regulations and incorporate any new information on the individual species.
3
Percentage of fish tagged along the Southern African coast in 2019 (percentages in brackets indicate overall distribution of tagging since 1984)
Top 10 species tagged in 2019
(percentages in brackets indicate overall composition of tagging since 1984)
4
Tracking dusky kob in the Western Cape JD Filmalter Roughly a decade ago Dr Paul Cowley from the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB) initiated a national research project looking at longshore movements and habitat use of adult estuarine dependent fish species, in collaboration with researchers from the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA). In 2016 we began tagging adult dusky kob in the Breede Estuary with long life acoustic transmitters as part of the Western Cape component of this project. These tags last for eight years and allow the fish to be tracked as they swim within the Acoustic Tracking Array Platform (ATAP) network of acoustic receivers. This network spans a large portion of South Africa’s coastline from the Berg Estuary on the West Coast to the border with Mozambique. Additional receivers are located in approximately 20 major estuaries across the country. When a tagged fish swims within a 500 m radius of a receiver the tag ID, date and time are recorded. Despite dusky kob being a prized angling species, we still know very little about how the adult population uses the coastline and how the population mixes at a national level. Initially 40 adult dusky kob (117-173 cm TL) were tagged in the Breede in 2016. During 2017 and 2018 a further ten juveniles (62-75 cm) were also tagged. In 2018 the project was expanded to assess the role that the adjacent De Hoop Marine Protected (MPA) area plays in supporting the kob population that uses the Breede. This expansion involved deploying more receivers and tagging more dusky kob within the MPA. By January 2020 there were 21 adult (101-152 cm) and 10 sub-adult (81-97 cm) dusky kob tagged in the MPA bringing the total number of tagged fish to 81. Although some fish were tagged nearly four years ago now, their tags are still active meaning that new information continues to come to light each time the receivers are retrieved and downloaded. Consequently, most of the results obtained so far are preliminary, but the trends they are indicating are quite remarkable!
in high numbers (7082% each year). They also do not appear to be using much of the coastline, with only a single fish venturing as far as Mossel Bay. All other movements have been limited to less than 150 km. Many of the tagged fish have briefly visited surrounding estuaries, including the Duiwenhoks, Goukou and Gouritz. We have also seen many fish from the Breede spending time in the De Hoop MPA, however only three of those tagged in De Hoop have ventured into the Breede – but it’s still early days for them and things could easily change. The most startling (and concerning) result obtained so far is not about their movements but rather about their vulnerability. Of the juvenile dusky kob tagged in the Breede, 80% have now been recaptured and retained in a little over 2.5 years. All recaptures were made by recreational anglers in estuaries. This is a troubling statistic for the sustainability of the population. The dusky kob stock in South African waters has been considered collapsed for over 25 years and is showing no sign of recovery. These limited movements and high recapture rates are providing critical insights as to why this is the case. Estuaries are critical habitats for this species but also the greatest source of fishing mortality.
A major finding so far has been the strong site fidelity The fate of the stock hinges on future management that the adult dusky kob tagged in the Breede have interventions and responsible fishing practices in these displayed. Every year the same individuals return, and key environments.
www.oritag.org.za
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Top Taggers: 11 or more fish tagged in 2019 Member name
2019 tag releases
Total taggings
2019 tag recaptures
Total tag recaptures
% Recapt.
Member name
2019 tag releases
Total taggings
2019 tag recaptures
Total tag recaptures
% Recapt.
KEVIN HUMPHREYS
387
2187
8
102
5%
BOB SHEPHERD
40
685
-
24
4%
MARK GALPIN
213
539
19
42
8%
POENA BRUWER
38
189
3
8
4%
NIEL MALAN
162
350
12
17
5%
RUDOLPH LATEGAN
36
42
2
2
5%
36
552
2
19
3%
SHAWN MEY
150
1195
4
62
5%
RIEKERT VAN HEERDEN
CHARLES LILFORD
120
2861
4
131
5%
EDUARD STEYLS
35
182
1
4
2%
BRADLEY SPARG
120
2394
4
135
6%
DONOVAN SOLOMON
35
252
1
51
20%
JASON BRINK
118
370
-
9
2%
DAVE IRVINE
34
455
6
72
16%
KOBUS NIEHAUS
110
1933
29
117
6%
MATTHEW MCIVER
34
129
6
9
7%
ROGER DAVISON
93
142
12
15
11%
BERRIE FERREIRA
33
704
1
25
4%
MIKE DOHLHOFF
91
460
6
29
6%
FRANCOIS KEMP
33
89
3
3
3%
DION GOVINDER
90
408
9
49
12%
NIC DE KOCK
33
1956
9
127
6%
DONAVAN COLE
81
874
9
22
3%
MATT SNYMAN
32
32
3
3
9%
GERRIE GROBLER
81
637
1
31
5%
CORNELIS REIMAN
32
526
-
20
4%
WILLIAM FERREIRA
77
334
4
16
5%
PIETER MULLER
32
716
1
29
4%
JEFF ASHERWOOD
74
552
4
35
6%
CRAIG NELSON
32
658
4
43
7%
PIET OOSTHUIZEN
68
631
12
130
21%
NICHOLAS PIENAAR
32
49
2
2
4%
MATHEW WEEDMAN
67
510
8
58
11%
STEPHAN BRILL
31
38
-
-
-
JUSTIN MCCARTHY
59
509
1
33
6%
DEVAN LAGENDYK
31
48
1
3
6%
JACQUES DE LA HARPE
59
1110
8
85
8%
SIMON WALKER
31
5144
3
390
8%
JUNAID ISMAIL
58
252
10
36
14%
RYAN TAYLOR
30
387
4
40
10%
JJ STRYDOM
57
162
3
6
4%
HARDUS LATEGAN
30
37
-
-
-
PIETER DU TOIT
54
181
2
6
3%
SHAUN DAFEL
30
44
3
3
7%
MARCO WILDEMANN
52
52
1
1
2%
PIERRE STEYN
30
166
1
3
2%
GARETH GOUGH
50
465
4
32
7%
QUINTON KAHTS
29
29
-
-
-
JOSHUA TIMM
49
137
1
5
4%
SIEG NEUMANN
28
85
-
1
1%
JACQUES OOSTHUIZEN
48
344
9
83
24%
ORION FARAH
28
48
3
5
10%
MICHAEL PARRIS
48
67
2
4
6%
STRINIVASEN ROLAND NAICKER
27
167
2
8
5%
CHRISTOPHER PIKE
47
250
2
14
6%
C MORAN
27
27
-
-
-
LEON VAN DER MESCHT
47
57
1
1
2%
WIHAN DE JAGER
27
33
-
-
-
DIRK HERTZOG
46
205
4
12
6%
BRETT HARRIS
26
137
-
4
3%
URSULA OTTO
46
102
2
4
4%
EUGENE OWEN
26
117
-
4
3%
25
293
-
5
2%
GRAHAM POLLARD STEFAN OOSTHUIZEN STEFAN VAN HUYSSTEEN RUAN VAN DER WALT CHRIS FALLOWS
6
45
242
1
8
3%
STEVEN HUMPHREYS
42
390
2
30
8%
GERHARD BRUWER
25
30
2
2
7%
42
182
1
5
3%
CARLO VAN TONDER
25
110
-
2
2%
41
207
4
12
6%
VAUGHN REILLY
25
204
1
26
13%
40
1563
-
51
3%
BRENDAN O'CONNELL
25
433
2
70
16%
Top Taggers: 11 or more fish tagged in 2019 Member name
2019 tag releases
Total taggings
2019 tag recaptures
Total tag recaptures
% Recapt.
Member name
2019 tag releases
Total taggings
2019 tag recaptures
Total tag recaptures
% Recapt.
MORNE OLIVIER
25
25
-
-
-
STEPHAN OLIVIER
16
35
1
1
3%
BARRY TEDDER
25
213
-
4
2%
RAY THOMPSON
16
684
3
43
6%
BARRY-JOHN CADLE
24
24
-
-
-
JOHN DALE
16
224
-
13
6%
RUSSELL HAND
24
743
1
85
11%
JOHANN VENTER
16
27
-
-
-
ROB SCOTT
24
73
3
6
8%
BRAD CARR
16
941
2
71
8%
CHARLES DE LA HARPE
23
401
1
46
11%
MURRAY BASSET
16
53
-
3
6%
TREVOR BROWNE
23
73
2
2
3%
15
15
1
1
7%
MAARTEN MOLENAAR
23
638
2
36
6%
15
22
-
-
-
SHALVIN NAIDOO
23
101
3
6
6%
15
349
1
8
2%
PAUL COCKS
23
44
1
3
7%
14
14
-
-
-
LUAN ELS
23
33
-
-
-
14
196
1
21
11%
RUSSEL BERMAN
23
167
-
5
3%
14
148
-
4
3%
JULIAN PYBUS
23
582
4
27
5%
14
317
-
16
5%
STEVE SUTHERLAND
22
25
1
1
4%
13
105
2
6
6%
CLIFFORD HART
22
2632
1
172
7%
13
371
-
21
6%
LEON VAN VUUREN
22
89
-
-
-
13
13
-
-
-
13
13
1
1
8%
13
72
-
1
1%
13
248
1
6
2%
12
16
2
2
13%
12
12
1
1
8%
12
56
2
6
11%
12
118
1
14
12%
12
563
1
56
10%
12
22
-
-
-
12
145
2
8
6%
12
131
3
12
9%
11
1765
3
198
11%
11
357
-
24
7%
11
16
-
-
-
11
411
-
18
4%
11
27
2
3
11%
11
34
1
2
6%
11
238
3
17
7%
11
489
4
42
9%
11
18
-
-
-
11
92
-
2
2%
MATTHEW NOTHARD
22
63
-
-
-
ROUX SWART
21
298
2
22
7%
PIETER ROSSOUW
20
118
1
8
7%
MARLIN KINSEY
20
81
1
4
5%
VICTOR HOGAN
20
22
-
-
-
KIRK WEBBER
20
314
3
18
6%
JASON HAXTON
19
41
2
2
5%
19
153
1
8
5%
18
426
5
29
7%
MELVIN GOVENDER
18
48
2
4
8%
WERNER POTGIETER
18
115
1
3
3%
DIVAN COETZER
18
18
-
-
-
RON MAGGS
18
122
-
4
3%
WALTER BRIAN MULLINS JACQUES-PIERRE GELDENHUYS
STEPHAN MARX
18
30
1
2
7%
KAREL VRYENHOEK
18
163
2
11
7%
JUSTIN VON BONDE
18
158
-
2
1%
RYAN DALY
17
33
-
-
-
PATRICK MORRIS
17
859
-
56
7%
GRAHAM HEIM
17
203
1
4
2%
JASON MARKS
17
64
-
2
3%
MUHAMMAD ISMAIL DUVAN VAN BREDA GARETH BEAUMONT JUANDRÉ GELDENHUYS RYAN KOEKEMOER GARY THOMPSON RIAAN & THEA-MARI VAN DER SANDT CRAIG CARRUTHERS JULES KUN LOUHAN KOCH BRYSON CHUNDER GUY NICHOLSON LYLE TAYLOR HAIG SMUTS AVISHKAAR MISRA MARK BROWN KEVIN RUDOLPH GRANT MARSHBANK LIONEL KORTE DANIEL LA GRANGE WILLA BOTHMA ROBERT KYLE DAVE HUMAN DARREN DE BRUIN CHRIS MULLER JUAN-PHILIP WAGNER JUSTIN KEEPING LISTON DAVIDOWITZ LOUIS ALLISON MJ HILLHOUSE ANDREW GERICKE
www.oritag.org.za
7
8
9
10
11
ORI Cooperative Fish Tagging Project Statistics Fish tagged per year and per angler 30
Fish tagged.year-1
12 000
25
10 000
20
8 000 15 6 000 10
4 000
Total no. tagged 5
2 000
Average fish tagged/angler/year
14 000
Average no. tagged per angler
0
0
Year
% fish recaptured per year and cumulative number of fish tagged
Percenatge recaptured
9
400 000
Recap %
350 000
Cumulative no. tagged
8
300 000
7
250 000
6 5
200 000
4
150 000
3
Cumulative no. tagged
10
100 000
2
50 000
1 0
0
Year
Research Tagging in Marine Protected Areas Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)
De Hoop Marine Protected Area (Western Cape) Dwesa-Cwebe Marine Protected Area (Eastern Cape) Goukamma Marine Protected Area (Western Cape) iSimangaliso Marine Protected Area (KwaZulu-Natal) Pondoland Marine Protected Area (Eastern Cape)
12
Period
1985 - current 2009 - current 2001 - current 2001 - current 2006 - current
2019
Overall
Total
# Recapt.
Total
# Recapt.
1151 685 103 608 266
57 30 3 58 59
60229 3920 865 10474 4791
4419 132 31 1368 1216
New ORI Tagging Videos The Oceanographic Research Institute’s Cooperative Fish Tagging Project (ORI-CFTP) has recently released 15 new instructional tagging videos for our new tagging members, current members and members of the angling public. These videos will provide you with the background to the ORI-CFTP and what we need from anglers, as well as give you some important tips on how to be a more aware and responsible angler. These tagging videos cover all aspects of the ORI-CFTP including: why tag and release a fish; your tagging kit contents; priority species we would like tagged; different hook types and preparation; how to measure different species; handling, landing and tagging various species from the shore and on a boat; recording and sending in tag release information; and most importantly reporting a recapture and filling in a tag recapture form. Viewers can also see how to handle a fish that may be suffering from barotrauma, a common occurrence in some species caught off a boat. Included are videos on various hook types, knots and de-barbing hooks that ensure quick and safe hook removal from your fish. For new and existing members there are tips on kit maintenance. We encourage all our tagging members to watch and share these useful videos widely. We thank the South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR) for funding, and Billi-Jean Parker and Lynton Richards from Ocean Planet Media, for editing and creating these fantastic videos.
Videos can be found here: ORI Tag website
SAAMBR website
SAAMBR YouTube Channel
How to report the recapture of a tagged fish This video below provides all the information that you need to correctly report tag recapture information. Tag recaptures are one of the most important and exciting aspects of the Oceanographic Research Institute’s Cooperative Fish Tagging Project (ORI-CFTP). Recaptured fish allow us to investigate movement patterns, growth rates and population dynamics of the fish species tagged along the southern African coastline and ultimately contribute towards their conservation. What makes the ORI-CFTP so interesting and exciting is seeing where a recaptured fish was originally tagged; how far it has travelled; who originally tagged it and how much it has grown. As anyone who is fishing in the sea stands a chance of catching a tagged fish, it is very important to know exactly what information to record and how to send it to ORI.
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Main fish species tagged up to 31 December 2019 Priority species for tagging are highlighted in blue Species
No. Tagged since 1984
Recaptured since 1984
Km travelled
Days free Species
No.
%
Avg.
Max.
Avg.
Max.
No. Tagged since 1984
Recaptured since 1984
Km travelled
Days free
No.
%
Avg.
Max.
Avg.
Max.
Galjoen
67056
4643
7%
42
1892
431
5815
Dageraad
1360
92
7%
23
592
379
1753
Dusky kob
21929
1522
7%
27
1625
339
5997
Grey grunter
1335
81
6%
1
21
232
1099
1306
78
6%
61
280
253
1449
Leervis / Garrick
17612
1249
7%
224
2060
321
3208
Westcoast steenbras
Dusky shark
14996
1289
9%
60
1374
103
2772
Cape stumpnose
1253
8
1%
9
56
188
732
Spotted grunter
14329
382
3%
11
823
268
2950
Scotsman
1253
345
28%
24
1211
466
2839
Copper / Bronze whaler shark
10162
329
3%
160
1790
431
3981
Duckbill ray
1200
12
1%
15
123
575
1427
Spotted gullyshark
9580
644
7%
31
911
537
6332
Silver kob
1161
47
4%
35
548
268
839
Elf / Shad
9232
357
4%
273
1676
165
1437
Blacktip shark
1102
40
4%
90
1288
213
1148
Soupfin shark / Vaalhaai Scalloped hammerhead shark
1096
29
3%
127
1034
737
3586
1039
18
2%
121
629
329
2943
Skipjack tuna
1033
1
0%
1061
1061
464
464
Blacktail / Dassie
9136
222
2%
6
358
273
2715
White steenbras
7850
392
5%
39
804
293
2262
Blackspotted smoothhound shark Lesser guitarfish / Sandshark
7520
220
3%
44
582
571
4405
6589
73
1%
44
726
344
2572
Giant / Cape yellowtail
1021
41
4%
170
1746
320
1380
Raggedtooth shark
6572
953
15%
190
2966
741
8256
Stone bream
1007
9
1%
75
524
242
563
Giant guitarfish / Sandshark
5241
391
7%
31
360
344
2639
Yellowfin tuna
999
14
1%
804
5645
319
1314
Slinger
5186
204
4%
32
1110
227
2814
Leopard catshark
950
134
14%
11
722
330
4431
Roman
5069
329
6%
4
294
371
7301
Milk shark
949
25
3%
90
363
187
772
Bronze bream
4220
131
3%
19
799
204
1465
Squaretail kob
919
63
7%
34
1619
150
2043
Largespotted pompano Black musselcracker / Poenskop Diamond / Butterfly ray Broadnose sevengill / cow shark
4152
76
2%
12
270
244
1372
Geelbek / Cape salmon
902
11
1%
105
904
335
2569
3997
302
8%
20
528
544
6809
Bigeye kingfish
847
39
5%
12
163
246
2751
3807
33
1%
180
1756
443
2184
Black marlin
841
3
0%
1382
3633
163
240
3803
238
6%
73
1154
505
4332
Blacktip kingfish
834
28
3%
4
54
146
545
Giant kingfish
3733
146
4%
16
419
370
2226
Honeycomb stingray
826
18
2%
1
8
313
2543
Yellowbelly rockcod
3708
647
17%
5
355
367
3309
Dark shyshark
721
148
21%
4
86
124
1097
Catface rockcod
3590
809
23%
5
525
173
2867
Eagle ray
713
6
1%
10
49
495
1582
Sailfish
3573
29
1%
61
1060
150
727
Spinner / Longnosed blacktip shark
698
24
3%
92
1055
195
1295
Blue stingray
3406
11
0%
35
234
310
1085
Seventy-four
697
25
4%
51
521
489
2845
Zebra / Wildeperd
3374
75
2%
2
52
236
1399
596
9
2%
87
340
344
870
White musselcracker / Brusher Carpenter / Silverfish
Hardnosed smoothhound shark
2884
86
3%
63
843
563
3499
Natal seacatfish
595
230
39%
0
22
362
2586
2601
24
1%
46
290
932
4766
Potato bass
589
29
5%
2
22
336
2639
563
15
3%
1
12
102
279
Speckled snapper
2585
979
38%
3
200
281
2376
Baardman / Belman / Tasslefish
Janbruin / John Brown
2449
36
1%
1
17
455
4870
Tiger shark
562
25
4%
281
4067
380
1823
Santer / Soldier
2264
161
7%
18
490
238
1683
Striped marlin
560
2
0%
805
848
202
379
Striped catshark
1970
148
8%
6
381
323
2597
Great white shark
509
17
3%
290
1543
346
959
Sharpnose stingray
1914
7
0%
7
24
167
465
Halfmoon rockcod
506
91
18%
1
49
490
2511
Smooth hammerhead shark
1753
21
1%
139
384
577
3075
Bonefish
496
4
1%
10
34
122
354
Ladyfish / Springer
1739
34
2%
22
412
337
1426
Bull / Zambezi shark
488
31
6%
75
539
334
2599
462
3
1%
4
12
376
1044
Natal stumpnose / Yellowfin bream Red / Copper steenbras
1721
51
3%
13
230
237
1451
Queen mackerel / Natal snoek
1719
171
10%
118
923
831
8080
Blue marlin
445
0
0%
0
0
0
0
Perch / River bream
1582
218
14%
4
700
370
1583
Southern pompano
431
26
6%
62
464
151
848
Albacore / Longfin tuna River snapper / Rock salmon King mackerel / Cuda Brassy / Greenspot kingfish
1516
36
2%
304
1008
412
2585
Brown shyshark
419
31
7%
13
102
295
997
395
57
14%
2
44
273
1856
Cavebass / Lampfish
1373
14
1496
288
19%
3
391
315
2403
Pickhandle barracuda
1392
57
4%
387
1552
566
2604
Red stumpnose
387
9
2%
13
107
834
1998
1384
77
6%
11
757
290
1441
White stumpnose
383
5
1%
3
7
245
463
2284
Talang / Largemouth queenfish
379
16
4%
1
10
193
630
210
15%
10
514
331
Main fish species tagged up to 31 December 2019 Priority species for tagging are highlighted in blue Species
No. Tagged since 1984
Recaptured since 1984
Km travelled
Days free
No.
%
Avg.
Max.
Avg.
Max.
Species
No. Tagged since 1984
Recaptured since 1984
Km travelled
Days free
No.
%
Avg.
Max.
Avg.
Max.
82
1
1%
36
36
120
120
Puffadder shyshark
377
35
9%
1
20
217
1363
Spotted spiny dogfish
Hottentot
376
15
4%
1
10
267
1078
Swordfish
79
1
1%
9
9
1263
1263
Lemonfish
362
17
5%
4
64
230
749
Bigeye stumpnose
75
3
4%
8
21
42
59
Flapnose houndshark
336
43
13%
1
43
659
3013
Longfin kingfish
72
1
1%
12
12
453
453
Sandbar shark
334
6
2%
166
345
250
536
Longfin / Tropical yellowtail
69
0
0%
0
0
0
0
Eastern little tuna / Kawakawa
318
0
0%
0
0
0
0
Banded catshark
68
8
12%
16
55
423
1155
Banded galjoen
308
8
3%
70
562
232
507
Striped mullet
66
1
2%
1
1
230
230
Bartail flathead
306
8
3%
2
18
501
1947
Java shark
63
2
3%
14
18
67
76
Blackspot shark
293
8
3%
29
192
214
708
Blue kingfish
60
0
0%
0
0
0
0
60
0
0%
0
0
0
0
Spearnose skate
292
10
3%
1
3
190
462
Yellowspotted kingfish
Bluefin kingfish
289
10
3%
13
94
140
260
Sailfin rubberlip
59
0
0%
0
0
0
0
Bluntnose spiny dogfish St. Joseph / Elephant fish
274
4
1%
189
669
615
1476
Round ribbontail ray
58
2
3%
4
8
45
74
273
1
0%
1342
1342
218
218
Cape moony
56
0
0%
0
0
0
0
Snapper kob
253
10
4%
20
132
170
378
56
0
0%
0
0
0
0
Blue emperor
252
18
7%
32
307
318
975
Doublespotted queenfish Greater yellowtail / Amberjack
56
1
2%
77
77
27
27
Blue hottentot
244
7
3%
0
0
108
199
Sand steenbras
56
2
4%
0
0
40
79
55
1
2%
0
0
227
227
Malabar rockcod
226
31
14%
1
8
219
1540
Needlescaled queenfish
White seacatfish
205
4
2%
14
21
595
1895
Yellowtail scad
51
0
0%
0
0
0
0
Whitespotted smoothhound Greyspot guitarfish / Sandshark
199
5
3%
6
15
678
1627
Dusky rubberlip
50
2
4%
92
183
1495
2345
187
1
1%
6
6
51
51
Minstrel rubberlip
49
0
0%
0
0
0
0
Englishman
187
9
5%
1
6
281
640
Prodigal son / Cobia
49
1
2%
36
36
479
479
Snoek
181
1
1%
136
136
491
491
Marbled electric ray
48
0
0%
0
0
0
0
Concertina-fish
47
0
0%
0
0
0
0
Thintail thresher
47
0
0%
0
0
0
0
Panga
45
0
0%
0
0
0
0
Javelin grunter
170
16
9%
9
70
378
2940
Dorado / Dolphinfish Green jobfish / Kaakap
160
1
1%
64
64
66
66
160
6
4%
0
0
229
373
Spadefish
45
1
2%
118
118
2724
2724
Short-tail stingray
152
4
3%
60
231
627
2412
Shortfin mako
45
5
11%
24
69
253
786
Spotted eagleray
151
3
2%
205
597
518
850
44
4
9%
0
0
7
11
Striped threadfin
141
2
1%
5
9
51
63
Swallowtail rockcod False thornback skate Yellowfin emperor
43
2
5%
0
0
194
340
42
4
10%
0
0
441
1187
Shortbill spearfish
41
0
0%
0
0
0
0
Wreckfish
39
2
5%
4
7
231
388
Blue shark
38
0
0%
0
0
0
0
Steentjie
37
0
0%
0
0
0
0
Smallspotted pompano
129
4
3%
3
13
211
439
Tomato rockcod
116
19
16%
2
22
209
574
Cock grunter
113
5
4%
14
65
144
490
Grey reef shark
109
2
2%
0
0
115
213
Great barracuda
104
23
22%
0
1
170
467
German
37
0
0%
0
0
0
0
Flathead mullet
102
1
1%
738
738
738
738
Koester
36
1
3%
0
0
1176
1176
Thorntail stingray
102
2
2%
0
0
295
357
Manta
35
1
3%
6
6
39
39
Bludger kingfish
34
0
0%
0
0
0
0
Indian goatfish
34
0
0%
0
0
0
0
Tripletail
32
0
0%
0
0
0
0
Surge wrasse
32
1
3%
0
0
34
34
Milkfish
31
0
0%
0
0
0
0
Wahoo Captain Fine / White-spotted rockcod Mackerel
31
1
3%
0
0
18
18
30
0
0%
0
0
0
0
30
0
0%
0
0
0
0
Twinspot snapper
30
5
17%
2
4
139
363
Russell's snapper
101
3
3%
0
1
328
896
Moustache rockcod
100
35
35%
36
1200
469
2990
Eel-catfish
97
1
1%
1
1
47
47
Cape gurnard
97
2
2%
0
0
207
377
Whitebarred rubberlip
95
1
1%
1
1
176
176
Atlantic bonito
91
0
0%
0
0
0
0
Maasbanker
88
0
0%
0
0
0
0
Sliteye shark
88
2
2%
291
565
1334
2652
Oxeye tarpon
82
0
0%
0
0
0
0
15
Bigeye Kingie Recapture Riekert van Heerden “I have an exciting story to tell you today. It pertains to the long-standing ORI tagging programme, of which the pros and cons are often feverishly debated by its proponents and critics. I have been a public member of the ORI tagging programme since its year of inception, more than 30 years ago. But this morning early the most remarkable thing happened to me that I think very few have the privilege to experience, whether you tag fish or not.
The length measurements revealed that this fish had grown 25 mm since 18 March 2019. The fact that it was recaptured in the exact same location shows that it is highly resident. Now if this is not worthwhile scientific information then I don’t know what is.
So all the critics of the ORI tagging programme take note of this success story. I do certainly agree with the critics that not all fish are handled and tagged as they should. And this can certainly be to the detriment of the fish being tagged. But if done correctly, valuable scientific On 18 March 2019 I caught a bigeye kingfish from the information can be gleaned from the tagging efforts by shore here in Durban on a prototype pink glow slow the public participants in the programme. pitch jigging spoon that I was testing at that stage. So how can we make progress on addressing some I remember this particular fish well, especially how of the criticisms against the ORI tagging programme? I treated it whilst in my care. After landing the fish it I would like to end this remarkable story by making a went head first immediately into a bucket of sea water suggestion to ORI: to ensure that it was kept out of water for as short as possible. I only handled the fish with wet hands. I tagged Education is king. Educate your members. The best the fish with an impeccably clean tagging applicator. practice tagging manual and video is on the ORI website, And then I took a quick selfie and released the fish. but do new members really study this content? What about developing an online test which new members must first pass at a very high mark before the tagging kit is made available to them. This will force new members to engage with the manual and study it. Ultimately this will ensure that more fish are being tagged correctly. It will also ensure that only persons that are truly committed to tagging join the programme. I hope I see my special friend again one day.� 22 November 2019
18 March 2019
Well this morning, 22 November 2019, I was spinning at the exact same spot where I tagged and released the fish. I noted a shoal of these bigeye kingfish hanging around a piece of reef. Each time I cast the spoon close to the shoal, the fish scattered in all directions but then congregated again. I could not raise a proper bite on the CID pink glow couta no 2 spoon that I had on. So I downscaled to the smaller no 1 version. I again cast at the shoal with the fish scattering in all directions. But this time I went tight! I subsequently landed the fish and saw that it had a tag. The fish was clearly in good condition and feisty during the brief fight. While keeping the fish in a bucket of sea water I scraped the thin layer of algal growth off the tag to reveal the tag number. I also measured the fork length of the fish before releasing it back into the sea. When I checked my tagging database later this morning I was astonished to discover that I have recaptured the same fish that I tagged on 18 March this year! What are the chances of this happening when you throw a lure into a shoal of fish?
16
Exciting recaptures from 2019
On the 30th December 2018 we had our 945th raggedtooth shark tag recapture. This female raggie was originally tagged by Maarten Moelenaar on the 27th April 2012 in St Francis Bay measuring 176 cm PCL, before later being recaptured by Clinton Dunk at the Amatikulu River measuring 192 cm PCL. She was recaptured a distance of 964 km north from where she was originally tagged being at liberty for about 6.6 years. This migration shows typical female raggie behaviour as they are known to mate in warmer waters off the east coast and then migrate back to the cooler waters of the south coast to pup in known nursery areas (Klein et al. 2019).
On the 30th December 2018 we had our 392nd white steenbras tag recapture. This fish was originally tagged by Deon Kotze on the 12th July 2014 at Fresh Water/Brandfontein measuring 582 mm FL, before being recaptured 4.6 years later by JP Liebenberg, now measuring 827 mm FL. It was recaptured in the same location, suggesting that this fish may have remained resident in the area. White steenbras are generally known to be a migratory species with individuals larger than 500 mm often undertaking large-scale migrations. However, there are also those that seem to remain resident as seen with this tag recapture. However, it is also possible that this fish had moved and come back to the same place during its 4.6 years at liberty. Fortunately we are now just starting to unravel this mystery with the use of acoustic telemetry. 17
Exciting recaptures from 2019
On the 7th April 2019 we had our 13th duckbill ray tag recapture (out of 1 182 tag releases) in over 34 years! This ray was originally tagged by Armand van der Walt on the 10th Feb 2016 at Heuningnes River / Die Mond measuring 138 cm width, before later being recaptured by MJ Smit at Die Las / Deurloop now measuring 149 cm width. The ray was recaptured a distance of 10 km south from where it was originally tagged and was at liberty for 3.1 years. This is a great recapture due to the scarcity of ray recaptures in the ORI Cooperative Fish Tagging Project.
On the 15th April 2019 we had our 968th raggedtooth shark tag recapture. This female raggie was originally tagged by Coenraad van Greunen on the 7th February 2015 at New Brighton Beach / North End measuring 187 cm PCL, before later being recaptured three times over the next four years. The first recapture was by Ferdie Botha at Van Der Riets / Hougham Park on the 31st October 2015 measuring 190 cm PCL; the second recapture was by Wade Botha at Kleinemonde, more than three years later, on the 10th November 2018 measuring 204 cm PCL; and the third recapture was by Raymond Deyzel at Algoa Bay / Sundays River on the 15th April 2019 measuring 209 cm. Overall she moved a distance of about 784 km over 4.1 years and grew about 22 cm. This female raggie was most likely recaptured during her migrations further north for mating and gestation and back south to pup (Klein et al. 2019). Raggies are one of the top species from the tagging project that are recaptured multiple times (91 multiple recaptures to date). 18
Exciting recaptures from 2019
On the 14th November 2019 we had our 332nd roman (Chrysoblephus laticeps) tag recapture for the ORI Cooperative Fish Tagging Project. This recapture is truly remarkable as this species was previously recorded to only live for a maximum of 19 years (Gรถtz, 2005), however this recapture surpasses that age as this fish spent more than 20 years at liberty! This roman was originally tagged by a team of scientists from the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) on the 18th November 1999 measuring 312 mm FL at Lekkerwater, in the De Hoop Marine Protected Area (MPA), before it was recaptured 7 301 days (20 years) later by these same scientists in exactly the same location on the 14th November 2019 measuring 470 mm FL. During this time not only did this fish change sex from female to male (protogynous hermaphrodite) but it stayed true to its colours as it showed high residency and a very slow growth rate by only growing 158 mm in 20 years. This recapture is another perfect example of just how important data from the Tagging Project is, and how MPAs play an essential role in protecting highly resident species like this. This fish was released again, hopefully to be recaptured in the future and provide us with even more exciting data. The ongoing commitment of the scientific team conducting the research in the De Hoop MPA is gratefully acknowledged.
On the 23rd December 2019 we had our 372nd Elf/Shad tag recapture for the ORI Tagging Project. This shad was originally tagged on the 21st February 2018 by a team of scientists from the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) measuring 511 mm FL at Lekkerwater, Western Cape (which is part of the De Hoop Marine Protected Area). It was recaptured 670 days (1.8 years) later by Gary Heath in Richards Bay measuring 720 mm FL, having moved an impressive 1 496 km north! Adult and subadult shad generally undertake an annual northward seasonal migration between the Cape and KZN. The arrival of shad in KZN coincides with the onset of spawning activity. These shad feed primarily on sardines, which also undergo a northward migration during winter. There is an annual, nationwide two-month closed season for this species, from 1 October to 30 November, to protect shad during their peak breeding season. 19
De Hoop catch statistics now online Colin Attwood and Denham Parker Recreational fishing statistics are not easily gathered nor converted into usable data for tracking fish abundance, unlike commercial statistics. The aim of the fish monitoring project at the De Hoop Marine Protected Area is to provide a continuous and reliable source of information on the status of recreationally targeted surf-zone fish. Until now the data have been held at Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF), and reported in a few scientific publications only, but now a new app has made the trends available to the public in a user-friendly format via the internet. De Hoop is one of several marine protected areas (MPAs) on the South African coast where fishing is prohibited. Since its promulgation in 1985, fish in De Hoop have been undisturbed by fishing. One of the objectives of the MPA is to aid in the protection and recovery of species that have been severely reduced along the Cape’s south coast. To monitor the status of fish populations and the efficacy of the MPA, Lieze Swart of the DEFF runs a research project at De Hoop, involving scientists and volunteer anglers. The fish monitoring occurs at two sites in the MPA: Koppie Alleen and Lekkerwater. Each site is sampled three times annually. Anglers catch, tag and release fish, recording vital information on their abundance, size and movement patterns. The project began in 1984, one year before the MPA was established, and has continued ever since, making it the longest project of its kind and the largest single contributor to the ORI-CFTP. We developed an app (on the R SHINY platform) to communicate the De Hoop monitoring results to the public. R SHINY is a package in the statistical freeware R that allows you to build user-friendly web interfaces, providing often complicated and in-depth data analysis to the public in a simple, easy to understand format. The app presents the results of 35 years of fish survey data: total catch, catch-per-unit-effort, size-structure data and fish movement for each species. Species of interest can be selected in a drop-down menu and data can be disaggregated according to sampling area (Koppie Alleen or Lekkerwater) and year (1984-2019) using interactive toggle switches and slide bars that are intuitive to users. The catch-per-unit-effort data provide an index that scientists use to measure the abundance of fish. One might expect the abundance of fish to be stable in a MPA, without the removal of fish, but for some species, such as galjoen, there are definite cycles in the data which are influenced by environmental factors. Also evident are notable differences between the two sites (which are only 11 km apart) not only in magnitude but also in trends, which again point to the strong local habitat effects. The data help us to understand the relative impacts of fishing and the environment on fish abundance. The size structures of captured fishes are equally fascinating as they reflect communities of fish that, for the most part, are allowed to live a normal life-span. Their sizes are on average greater than what you might expect to catch outside MPAs. Scientists use this information to gauge the natural rate of fish mortality, and by comparison with exploited areas, the rate at which fish are removed by anglers, or fishing mortality rate. As a rule of thumb, the fishing mortality rate should not exceed the natural rate of mortality. Fish movement data are also included, although ORI have been reporting these same statistics since the start of the project. Find the data on the De Hoop Fish Monitoring Website. The app is a collaborative effort by Matt Horton, Denham Parker and Colin Attwood.
20
Focus species: Spotted grunter (Pomadasys commersonnii) Movement:
Resident. Despite making seaward migrations to spawn, spotted grunter are largely resident to one estuary. Extreme weather events such as floods can displace resident individuals from their home estuaries.
Total number tagged: 14 329 Number recaptured: 382 (3%) Longest time free: 2 950 days or 8 years (2002 to 2010) Longest distance moved: 823 km (from Gamtoos River, EC to Durban Harbour, KZN) Growth:
Relatively slow growth rate, males reach maturity after 2.5 years (33 cm TL), females reach maturity at 3 years (39 cm TL)
Max size:
9.5 kg; 91 cm FL
Max age:
19 years
Breeding season: August – December in KZN, summer months in the EC and WC. Breeding location: They likely spawn along the entire east coast of South Africa in coastal waters, often
adjacent to estuary mouths and in harbours.
Feeding:
In estuaries they feed on crustaceans such as sand and mud prawns and molluscs such as pencil bait.
Distribution:
The entire eastern seaboard of South Africa (Mozambique, KZN, EC, WC).
21
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Postal address: PO Box 736 Durban 4000
The Tagging News is edited by Gareth Jordaan, Bruce Mann and Colette Bodenstaff
24www.oritag.org.za