JOINT MEDIA RELEASE FROM iSIMANGALISO WETLAND PARK AUTHORITY AND EZEMVELO KZN WILDLIFE

 MEDIA RELEASE No: 2010 – 02 -14

VERTICAL JIGING PROHIBITED IN ISIMANGALISO WETLAND PARK
For immediate release

iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife inform the public that the vertical jigging method of catching fish is prohibited with immediate effect within the proclaimed boundary of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa’s first World Heritage Site.

“Park staff and concerned anglers report that an unacceptably high proportion of slow-growing reef and bottom fish are being caught when this method is used for pelagic species,” says iSimangaliso CEO Andrew Zaloumis.

“They estimate the reef and bottom fish by-catch being as high as 80% which has a directly negative effect on biodiversity which is one of the global values for which the iSimangaliso Wetland Park was listed as a World Heritage Site”

Commenting on the newly imposed prohibition on vertical jigging Ezemvelo KZNW Wildlife CEO, Dr Bandile Mkhize added “It is imperative that the fish stocks within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park remain as healthy as possible.  These reef fish are listed as “critical” on the National Linefish Management Plan which resulted in the national Minister declaring a crisis in the South African Line fishery”

“Research is currently being done to establish to what extent the fish from Marine Protected Areas benefit other reef systems outside the Protected Area boundaries,” he said.

Recently developed types of fishing gear and other technological equipment enable ski-boat anglers to operate at depths greater than 100 metres and in all weathers – factors that increase fishing pressure.

A bottom or reef fish brought up rapidly from depth suffers barotraumas – injury caused by rapid decrease in pressure – which often results in the fish’s eyes popping out or its stomach being inverted and pushed out of its mouth.

Although there are methods whereby these fish can be returned to the water they very often fall prey to sharks on their way down and this results in an unacceptably high number of them dying.

There are authenticated reports of ski-boat anglers finding numerous dead reef fish floating near deep reefs near Sodwana Bay having been abandoned due to the fact that it is illegal to land such fish.

“Sadly, many of these fish – such as the slow-growing yellow belly rock-cod and brindle bass, both of which are specially protected and may not be targeted – are the very species that marine protected areas like the iSimangaliso were established to protect – and these illegal captures cannot be part of the wise management of the resources,” says Zaloumis.

He added that “It would be a great tragedy if one of few known living coelacanths was inadvertently hooked and killed by vertical jigging.” Coelacanths, an ancient species thought to be extinct until the late 1930s, were discovered in iSimangaliso living in the deep Jesser Canyon.

Zaloumis said “The decision to prohibit this fishing method was not taken lightly.”

“We held discussion with our conservation partners Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, organised angling, the Marine and Coastal Management branch of the national Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, as well as specialists from relevant universities and research institutes”

“We are great supporters of responsible recreational angling in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park and most fishermen who visit the Park are committed conservationists,” said Zaloumis.

“Unfortunately there are some who do not understand that a selfish “live for today” exploitation threatens the enjoyment of the sport by the present generation, our children and grandchildren and many other anglers of the future”.

Anglers who are found engaging in this form of fishing or who have vertical jigging equipment in the Park will with immediate effect be liable for prosecution.

 
South Africa Deep Sea Angling Association (SADSAA):

President of SADSAA, Mr Marius Vermaak, welcomed the prohibition and said that all the Association’s 8 000 members were being informed of it.

“Vertical jigging has never been an accepted method of catching fish in any SADSAA-hosted tournaments because of the damage it causes to the fish resources,” he said.

“Our ethos is to tag and release whenever possible and particularly if research is being carried out on that particular species,” he added.

“We know that any fish brought up from depth suffers a barotrauma and we accept that these stringent measures have to be applied if we are to pass on the joy of fishing to future generations,” he said.

“In our billfish tournaments, for instance, there are penalties if the fish, even if it is of record breaking size, is not released alive,” said Mr Vermaak.

 
Information Box:

Vertical jigging involves lowering a hooked and heavy metal bar on an inflexible braid or spiderline which sinks to the bottom onto reefs, ledges or the sea-floor.

The jig is then shaken to attract fish which can include species such as slinger, rock-cod and other similar species which may not be targeted.

Sodwana Bay and cape Vidal within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park have become popular venues for this method of fishing from ski-boats as there are numerous accessible, off-shore reefs.

The 220 km-long iSimangaliso Wetland Park includes approximately 9% of the South African coastline from the Mozambique border in the north to 2km south of Maphelane Light house and extends three nautical out to sea from the high water mark.

The marine sections of the Park are divided into on-shore and and off-shore sanctuary Zones where no fishing is allowed, and Restricted and Controlled Zones  where shore anglers may catch fish using a rod and reel.

Ski-boat anglers and spearfishers may only target certain species of pelagic fish.

 
In terms of the Marine Living Resouces Act of 1998, no person may fish or attempt to fish within a Marine Protected Area unless there is provision within the regulations.

These regulations allow for the capture of certain pelagic bony and cartilaginous fish in certain zones, and since vertical jigging catches not only pelagic fish but other reef/bottom fish this method is inconsistent with the objectives set out in the Act.

The prohibition of vertical jigging has been put in place by iSimangaliso in terms of Section 13 of the World Heritage Act Convention Act, 1999, (Act No 49 of 1999) and Section 52 of the national Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act, 2003 (Act No 57 of 2003) and Regulations of 2005.

The prohibition of vertical jigging came into effect on 1 February 2010.

END

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SADSAA COLUMBIA BILLFISH CLASSIC 2010
By Jackie Pratt – Tournament Secretary

The 2010 SADSAA Billfish Classic was without a doubt the most successful Tournament of its kind ever to be held in South Africa. Richards Bay is a World Class venue and the standard set at the inaugural event in 2009 attracted World Class Boats and World Class anglers, including a considerable number of Protea, SADSAA and Provincial anglers.

The Tournament was a full release event, no fish were killed and it is fantastic to see SADSAA anglers supporting this ethic and taking it back to their Clubs and Provinces, encouraging them to support the release of fish in their own events.

80 Boats set off with a spectacular mass start early on Wednesday 10 February, a light NE wind was blowing which picked up to quite fresh in the afternoon but this did not deter the majority as the Billfish were on the bite. 21 Billfish, comprising 8 Blue Marlin, 8 Black Marlin, 2 Sailfish and 3 Shortbill Swordfish were released on Day One, an excellent result again proving that Richards Bay is a World Class Bill-fishery. Three boats, namely CASPER, TRINITY and REEL MAGIC released two marlin each giving them 200 points,  so the game was on.

Day Two, Thursday was a beautiful day with light variable winds and flat seas, the NE only picking up late in the afternoon so even the boats who did not catch fish reported they had a magic day at sea.  Again an excellent result with 18 Billfish released, 12 Marlin, 1 Sailfish and 5 Shortbill. Ludolf bagged 200 points with 2 Marlin and Big Sea Hunter, Lady Rose and Seducer took their 2nd Marlin to join Casper, Trinity and Reel Magic; 7 boats tied at the top of the board on 200 points.

Early on Friday morning the NE wind had already started to blow but most boats decided to launch, however by 9 am the wind had really picked up and the competition was called off for the remainder of the day.  Only one fish was released a Sailfish on Shumwari III.

With the competition still wide open, the guys enjoyed an afternoon of rest and no doubt lots of “meetings” to discuss team tactics as although the NE wind carried on until late Friday night the forecast was good for Saturday.

As predicted overnight the wind turned to the South and all the boats were able to launch on Saturday. With 6 boats still tied at the top of the board on 2 Marlin it was now going to come down to who caught his 3rd Marlin first or even get a 4th fish. In the case of a tie, the rules state that the boat who caught his last fish first will be the winner i.e. if 3 boats have 3 fish the first boat to catch his 3rd fish will win.

The majority of the boats stayed out right up until cut-off time at 5pm so there was quite a rush to check their photos. Ten marlin were released on Day 4 and 1 Shortbill giving an overall total of FIFTY ONE Billfish released in the Tournment.  Both Trinity and Sea Ducer managed to release their 3rd marlin and I believe that right up until the last prize was announced on Saturday night, no one was absolutely certain who had won. In the end Sea Ducer caught his 3rd fish at 10.14am and Trinity his 3rd fish at 10.31am so SEA DUCER walked away with the R100,000 cheque and 17 minutes cost Trinity R50,000, a bit like lipping the cup on the last hole. Wave Walker was 3rd with 2 Marlin and a Shortbill on a time-out over 4th placed Lady Rose.
The anglers who participated in this event must be congratulated for their ethics and sportsmanship, the angling is of the highest standard and whilst having a lot of fun in a wonderful relaxed atmosphere with great camaraderie, each and every one would be worthy winners and excellent ambassadors for our great sport of Deep Sea Angling.
The winner team receive an invitation to the International Gamfishing Association Offshore World Championships which will be held in Cabo St. Lucas, Mexico in 2011 and we sincerely hope they will attend and fly the flag for South Africa.

SADSAA would like to thank our major sponsor Columbia for raising this event to the next level and in particular FOSKOR for their sponsorship of the TV coverage (the programme will be aired on Supersport shortly) and invaluable hands on assistance during the week. We would also like to thank Bass Airways, Ritchie Ford, Iland Lures, Bell Equipment, Ski-Boat Magazine, Pulsator Lures, Evinrude, Rapala, Captain Morgan, Z-Craft, H2O, BMK and Lowrance and we hope with their continued support that we can expand this event to full International status in the future.

A special thanks must also go to Richards Bay Ski-Boat Club and their committee for hosting the event and the ladies committee for the outstanding catering.

Results attached – full report will be published in the next issue of Ski-Boat magazine.

Hope to see you all again next year.

Click here for Final Results    

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Proposed amendment to levies on fish & fish products. Potential impact of recreational anglers :

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Anglers can still enter for the Billfish up until Registration on Tuesday 9th February but preferable complete and return an Entry form before Wednesday 2nd Feb so that the Boat packs can be pre-packed ready for Registration.

FOR THE UPDATES RULES, ENTRY FORM AND PROGRAMME - CLICK HERE

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1. Congratulations to Junior Anglers, Brendan Venter & Justin Howell on their catches - CLICK HERE FOR MORE

2. 30th International Sailfish Tournamant (Costa Rica) send off - CLICK HERE FOR MORE

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The send off details for the above tournament.
 
TEAM   :    Denham Townsend (captain) (Southern Gauteng)
                      Warren Meredith (Southern Gauteng)
                      Russel Hand (Natal)
 
DATE    :    Friday, 26th February 2010
TIME     :    19h00 for 19h30
VENUE :    Durban Club
 
Any anglers that are in the Durban area at the time are more than welcome to attend.

Contact:

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2010 Hemingways Sailfish University
(In conjunction with Ski-Boat magazine.)
Learn how to catch sailfish from highly experienced captains and crews during Kenya’s prime sailfish season.
29th November to 4th December 2010
Proposed curriculum:
1. Tackle set-up using 30/50 lb rigs.
2. Terminal tackle – hook, lure and leader configurations.
3. How to set up trolling patterns depending on the craft’s wake — bear in mind that you will be fishing on four different craft. How to decide whether each bait/lure is swimming correctly, and how to use “birds”.
4. Correct deployment of rods in the rod holders and setting the lines in the outriggers.
5. Deployment of various types of teasers.
6. Understanding various trolling patterns --- each captain will explain where he runs his lures and why.
7. Positioning the craft during and after the strike.
8. Clearing the deck following a hook-up.
9. The anglers will be talked through each strike and will be taught to free spool and strike the sailfish.
10. Positioning the craft during the fight, especially when the fish nears the boat and is about to be leadered.
11. When and how to leader a sailfish as it gets close to the boat and how to control the fish to avoid it from jumping and ending up on the fish deck while it’s still very green.  ALL hook removal will be undertaken by the skilled deckies. Tagging will be undertaken by the participants.
12. How to use electronic equipment to plot way-points and how to work these plotted areas and bait showings to maximum advantage while fishing for sailfish.
13. Deep trolling using downriggers and paravanes and learning the style of the terminal lure/bait rig to be trolled at depth.
14.  How to wash down and stow tackle, rods and reels post-fishing.

NOTE.
1. The captain and crew must educate and communicate with the “students” continually while at sea.
2. Students will be exposed to four different techniques. Four different captains are to share their personal views and techniques.
3. Fishing to take place on four out of the six fishing days.

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Op 31 Desember 2009 die oggend om 5 uur lanseer die boot “Mrs SEEVARKIE”met Elize Smith as skipper en crew Leandri, Helga en Christine te Sodwana om hul “lady luck” te gaan probeer. Die see is kalm en die spangees op die boot fantasties. Hulle doelwit vir die dag is om vir Leandri ‘n marlyn te vang. Nadat reddingsbaadjies uitgetrek is word daar ‘n kringetjie gemaak om ons Skepper dankie te se vir die mooi dag en die voorreg om die natuur en Sy skepping te kan geniet.  Lyne word uitgesit om te soek vir lewendige aas. Vis is bietjie skaars die oggend en ongeveer half sewe se kant haak ons toe eers twee geelvin tunatjies wat as aas gebruik gaan word.  Ons “rig” die vissie op en sit dit in die water om ‘n marlyn nader te trek.  Ongeveer tien tot vyftien minute later gryp iets die vis en ons maak vas.  Binne ‘n paar sekondes lanseer ‘n swart marlyn homself ook dan uit die water en dans op sy stert.  Ons vreugde was groot en die gelag en skerts op die boot aansteeklik.  Gedurende die geveg was ons baie opgewonde maar die vis moes eers gelaai kom.  Die meisies was almal op hulle pos (nog nie baie ervaring van marlyn vang nie) maar bereid om te help en te leer.  Die samewerking was so goed, kalm en rustig, dat ons in twintig minute die vis op die boot gelaai het.  Dit was vir ons die grootste dag van ons lewe. Nadat ons tot verhaal gekom het is daar weer dankie gese vir ons Hemelse Vader vir die pragtige vis waarmee Hy ons geseen het. Die marlyn is afgelaai en geweeg op 68,5kg. Daar was heerlik fees gevier.  Die dag sal vir altyd in ons geheuens bly.

SEE THE PICTURES IN THE PHOTO GALLERY

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Greetings All,

Trust this finds you all well.

Below find the team selected yesterday to fish the 30th Sail Fish Tournament  in Costa Rica.

I have contacted them all and on behalf of SADSAA we want to once again congratulate these anglers especially Russell Hand as new cap.

Thank you to our selectors making themselves available at such busy time of the year.

Have a pleasant festive season.

Warmest regards,

MariusVermaak
President - SADSA

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If you are planning to fish in this highly prestigeous event, please try to get your entires in by early December. Columbia are sponsoring some fabulous clothing for every angler and if you don't get your form in we might not have your size. If you have any queries email jaxpratt@ivanhoe.co.za Hope to see you there.
Click Here for Entry Form and Tournament Rules

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