Transcript Abalone Fishery

Abalone Fishery
Environment Portfolio Committee
André Share
Chief Director: Marine Resource Management
09 March 2010
Western Cape - Abalone Fishery
• Abalone fishery – single sp.
– Haliotis midae
• Fishery extends over 580km
from Cape Columbine
(near St Helena Bay) to
Quoin Point (near Gansbaai).
• Slow growing
- sexual maturity: 7yrs.
- minimum legal size:8-9 yrs.
(114mm shell breadth).
• High value species.
Western Cape - Abalone Fishery
• 302 Right Holders.
Zone A: 27
Zone B: 34
Zone C: 167
Zone D: 18
Zone E: 47
Zone F: 0
Zone G: 9
• Divers: 262.
• Legal Entities: 42.
(Close Corporations)
• Abalone: severely depleted.
- suspension of wild harvesting (closed).
Annual Landings of abalone (in tons) for
the commercial and recreational sectors
Abalone Fishery Stock in Decline
Fishery Independent Surveys show decline in all major fishing zones
(number of abalone per 60m2 transect)
Causes
Ecosystem Effects
• Incursion of rock lobster.
• Relationship between abalone, sea urchins and
rock lobsters.
Poaching (Illegal harvesting)
• Took off in the early 1990’s.
• More than 60% of the poached abalone are
below the minimum legal size.
Western Cape - Abalone Fishery
• Abalone fishery closed on 1 February
2008 and diving ban imposed due to:
– Unsustainable fishery
• Poaching rife/organised crime.
• Ecological factor (eg. WCRL
migration).
• Sparsely populated.
– Closed to protect remaining
viable areas.
Dive Ban Areas
Cape & Quoin Point Areas
Dive Ban Areas
Bird Island Area (Eastern Cape)
Eastern Cape
• 25% of coastline along which abalone
considered to be present is protected by
MPA restricted zones and closed areas.
• No previous commercial activity.
• Experimental fishery (Hamburg):
(1999-2001).
Eastern Cape
• Lack of knowledge – status of resource /
paucity of data.
• Poaching rife: no regard for size limits.
• >90% poached abalone below MLS (114mm).
Eastern Cape
• Possible catches:
- 7 areas (non reserves): 1.5 ton per area.
- Coastline length: 409km.
• Potential Areas:
- Groot River to Kabeljous River.
- Maitlands River to Cape Recife.
- Canon Rocks to Great Fish River.
- Buffalo River to Kei River.
- Chalumna River to Buffalo River.
- Great Fish River to Chalumna River.
- Great Kei River to Dwesa Cwebe Reserve.
Eastern Cape
• Possible catches:
- 7 areas (non reserves).
- Coastline length: 409km.
• Potential Areas:
- Groot River to Kabeljous River.
- Maitlands River to Cape Recife.
- Canon Rocks to Great Fish River.
- Buffalo River to Kei River.
- Chalumna River to Buffalo River.
- Great Fish River to Chalumna River.
- Great Kei River to Dwesa Cwebe Reserve.
Thank you