Spatial description of hake-directed fishing activity off the west coast of South Africa
- Authors: Fairweather, T P , Booth, Anthony J , Sauer, Warwick H H , Leslie, Rob W
- Date: 2010
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/127031 , vital:35945 , https://doi.10.2989/18142320609504129
- Description: Historically, the two species of Cape hakes Merluccius capensis and M. paradoxus off South Africa were commercially exploited exclusively by demersal trawling. In 1994, hake-directed demersal longline was introduced on an experimental basis, and in 1998 was initiated as a commercial fishing sector. The effect of a combined fleet composed of both trawlers and longliners on the Cape hake resource is not fully understood. Analysis of fishing intensity and catch-rate data revealed that the highest catch rates were found around the 400m and 500m isobaths for the trawl and longline fisheries respectively. Catch rates from both fishing sectors were also noted to be higher over sediments with a sand component. Differences between areas of the highest fishing intensity and highest catch rates were noted. In addition to other factors, it is suggested that a ‘friction of distance’ effect applies — vessels will trade-off higher catch rates with the increased costs associated with fishing in deeper waters.
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- Date Issued: 2010
Bycatch and discarding in the South African demersal trawl fishery
- Authors: Walmsley, Sarah A , Leslie, Rob W , Sauer, Warwick H H
- Date: 2007
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/123944 , vital:35518 , https://doi.10.1016/j.fishres.2007.03.002
- Description: Observers aboard commercial trawlers collected data on the total catch composition of 614 and 479 hauls made by vessels operating off the south and west coasts of South Africa, respectively. On the south coast, four fishing areas were identified on the basis of target species and fishing depth. On the west coast, hauls were separated into those targeting hake Merluccius spp. in four depth ranges (0–300, 301–400, 401–500, and >500 m) and those targeting monkfish Lophius vomerinus. For each area, the catch composition was calculated and the species assemblages were investigated using cluster analysis and multi-dimensional scaling. Finally, for each coast, the weight of fish discarded annually was estimated. On the south coast, although hake dominated, between 21% and 47% of the catch was not hake, depending on the fishing area. In comparison, hake dominated west coast catches, the proportion of hake increasing with depth. For each fishery investigated, approximately 90% of the catch was processed and landed. However, estimates of annual discards indicate that the south and west coast fisheries may annually discard 9000 or 10,000 t and 17,000 or 25,000 t, of undersized and unutilizable fish and offal, respectively, depending on the estimation method used. When developing strategies to limit or enhance utilization of bycatch, cognisance should be taken of the differences in catch composition between the south and west coasts and of the importance of bycatch revenue to south coast fishing companies.
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- Date Issued: 2007
Conserving pattern and process in the Southern Ocean: designing a Marine Protected Area for the Prince Edward Islands
- Authors: Lombard, A T , Reyers, B , Schonegevel, L Y , Cooper, J , Smith-Adao, L B , Nel, D C , Froneman, P William , Ansorge, Isabelle J , Bester, M N , Tosh, C A , Strauss, T , Akkers, T , Gon, Ofer , Leslie, Rob W , Chown, S L
- Date: 2007
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6881 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011637
- Description: South Africa is currently proclaiming a Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of its sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands. The objectives of the MPA are to: 1) contribute to a national and global representative system of MPAs, 2) serve as a scientific reference point to inform future management, 3) contribute to the recovery of the Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides), and 4) reduce the bird bycatch of the toothfish fishery, particularly of albatrosses and petrels. This study employs systematic conservation planning methods to delineate a MPA within the EEZ that will conserve biodiversity patterns and processes within sensible management boundaries, while minimizing conflict with the legal toothfish fishery. After collating all available distributional data on species, benthic habitats and ecosystem processes, we used C-Plan software to delineate a MPA with three management zones: four IUCN Category Ia reserves (13% of EEZ); two Conservation Zones (21% of EEZ); and three Category IV reserves (remainder of EEZ). Compromises between conservation target achievement and the area required by the MPA are apparent in the final reserve design. The proposed MPA boundaries are expected to change over time as new data become available and as impacts of climate change become more evident.
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- Date Issued: 2007
Managing South Africa's trawl bycatch
- Authors: Walmsley, Sarah A , Leslie, Rob W , Sauer, Warwick H H
- Date: 2006
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/124954 , vital:35713 , https://doi.10.1093/icesjms/fsl022
- Description: Over the past few decades, it has become widely recognized that the management strategies of world fisheries must ensure sustainability of bycatch as well as of target species. South Africa implemented a pilot observer programme from 1995 to 2000 to collect data on the levels and patterns of bycatch and discards in the demersal trawl fishery. Here, the results of that programme are used in conjunction with information on bycatch value and compliance to assess the issues and problems regarding bycatch and discarding in the fishery. In general, bycatch components can be placed into one of three categories (discarded bycatch, retained bycatch, and processing waste), each of which present different management problems and require different management approaches. The results were used to formulate a bycatch management plan for the demersal trawl fishery in South Africa. Given the need to continue monitoring bycatch, the performance of the pilot observer programme is reviewed, and the levels of sampling effort required for a national programme are discussed.
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- Date Issued: 2006
Structure and distribution of the slope fish community in the vicinity of the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Archipelago
- Authors: Pakhomov, Evgeny A , Bushula, T , Kaehler, Sven , Watkins, B P , Leslie, Rob W
- Date: 2006
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6958 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1012000
- Description: Demersal fish community structure, distribution and trophic relationships on the slope (depth range 200–1500 m) of the sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands and surrounding sea rises were investigated during a pilot survey conducted in April 2001 onboard fishing vessel MV Iris. A total of 56 fish taxa were collected during the survey, of which 44 were identified to the species level, seven to the genus level and five to the family level. Among the identified taxa, 36 constituted new records for the area investigated. Total catch per unit effort (cpue) during the survey ranged from 1•1 to 241•2 individuals h 1. Both average fish diversity and total cpue positively correlated with trawling depth. Overall, mean sampling depth and near-bottom temperature explained 56% of total fish cpue. Hierarchal cluster analysis identified three distinct fish assemblages with pronounced dominant species. Major shifts in fish community composition occurred at 500–600 m and 800–900 m depth strata and could probably be a result of physical and biological vertical zonation. Analysis of the diet of selected fish species showed that they were generalist feeders, consuming predominantly pelagic, including epipelagic, meso- and benthopelagic, prey. Diets of six species and nitrogen stable isotope signatures of 22 species revealed that with a few exceptions most fishes occupied the fourth trophic level and were tertiary consumers. Wide variability in carbon isotopic signatures is discussed with respect to alternative, e.g. possible importance of high Antarctic and chemoautotrophic v. photoautotrophic sub-Antarctic primary production, organic matter sources at the base of deep-sea food webs.
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- Date Issued: 2006