Quantifying the annual fish harvest from South Africa’s largest freshwater reservoir
- Ellender, Bruce R, Weyl, Olaf L F, Winker, A Henning, Booth, Anthony J
- Authors: Ellender, Bruce R , Weyl, Olaf L F , Winker, A Henning , Booth, Anthony J
- Date: 2010
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:7149 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011852
- Description: South African inland fisheries are poorly developed and their contribution to near-shore communities is poorly understood. This study is the first comprehensive assessment of recreational and subsistence angling undertaken in an inland fishery in South Africa. The study was conducted on the 360 km2 Lake Gariep, South Africa’s largest freshwater reservoir. A total of 508 anglers were interviewed between February 2007 and January 2008. Of those interviewed, 67% were subsistence anglers and 33% recreational anglers. Catch per unit effort (CPUE) did not differ significantly between sectors. CPUE fluctuated seasonally, ranging between 0.37 (95% CI= 0.26 to 0.51) kg·angler-1·h-1 in winter and 0.88 (0.67 to 1.17) kg·angler- 1·h-1 in summer. The duration of a fishing day ranged from 5.99 (5.24 to 6.74) h in mid-winter to 7.26 (6.88 to 7.63) h in early summer. Expected end-of-day catch (CPUE × fishing-trip duration) ranged from 2.2 to 6.4 kg·angler-1·d-1 depending on the season. The number of anglers ranged from 22 (8 to 53) anglers·d-1 in June/July to 74 (25 to 176) anglers·d-1 in April. Total annual catch from the roving creel survey was estimated at 71.4 (57.4 to 91.4) t·yr-1. Another 7.5 t∙yr-1 were landed during recreational angling competitions. The resultant total catch divided by the lakeshore population equated to a per capita fish supply of 11.1 kg·yr-1. More than 70% of the catch was the alien invasive carp Cyprinus carpio and there was no evidence of overfishing. The fish resource of Lake Gariep is of significant recreational and subsistence value. As a result of the low fish price (ZAR5.72 ± 2.60·kg-1) subsistence fishing was considered a low-revenue activity that mainly augmented food security in lakeshore communities. The relatively high CPUE indicated that the fishery may be an important safety-net during periods when alternate sources of livelihoods are limited. Consequently, we recommend that the importance of angling to local communities needs to be taken into account when planning fisheries development and developing an inland fisheries policy
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2010
- Authors: Ellender, Bruce R , Weyl, Olaf L F , Winker, A Henning , Booth, Anthony J
- Date: 2010
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:7149 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011852
- Description: South African inland fisheries are poorly developed and their contribution to near-shore communities is poorly understood. This study is the first comprehensive assessment of recreational and subsistence angling undertaken in an inland fishery in South Africa. The study was conducted on the 360 km2 Lake Gariep, South Africa’s largest freshwater reservoir. A total of 508 anglers were interviewed between February 2007 and January 2008. Of those interviewed, 67% were subsistence anglers and 33% recreational anglers. Catch per unit effort (CPUE) did not differ significantly between sectors. CPUE fluctuated seasonally, ranging between 0.37 (95% CI= 0.26 to 0.51) kg·angler-1·h-1 in winter and 0.88 (0.67 to 1.17) kg·angler- 1·h-1 in summer. The duration of a fishing day ranged from 5.99 (5.24 to 6.74) h in mid-winter to 7.26 (6.88 to 7.63) h in early summer. Expected end-of-day catch (CPUE × fishing-trip duration) ranged from 2.2 to 6.4 kg·angler-1·d-1 depending on the season. The number of anglers ranged from 22 (8 to 53) anglers·d-1 in June/July to 74 (25 to 176) anglers·d-1 in April. Total annual catch from the roving creel survey was estimated at 71.4 (57.4 to 91.4) t·yr-1. Another 7.5 t∙yr-1 were landed during recreational angling competitions. The resultant total catch divided by the lakeshore population equated to a per capita fish supply of 11.1 kg·yr-1. More than 70% of the catch was the alien invasive carp Cyprinus carpio and there was no evidence of overfishing. The fish resource of Lake Gariep is of significant recreational and subsistence value. As a result of the low fish price (ZAR5.72 ± 2.60·kg-1) subsistence fishing was considered a low-revenue activity that mainly augmented food security in lakeshore communities. The relatively high CPUE indicated that the fishery may be an important safety-net during periods when alternate sources of livelihoods are limited. Consequently, we recommend that the importance of angling to local communities needs to be taken into account when planning fisheries development and developing an inland fisheries policy
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2010
Who uses the fishery resources in South Africa’s largest impoundment? Characterising subsistence and recreational fishing sectors on Lake Gariep
- Ellender, Bruce R, Weyl, Olaf L F, Winker, A Henning
- Authors: Ellender, Bruce R , Weyl, Olaf L F , Winker, A Henning
- Date: 2009
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6778 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1008088
- Description: The African Union’s prioritisation of inland fisheries as an investment area for poverty alleviation and regional economic development will require the development of management plans. These should be based on sound knowledge of the social dynamics of the resource users. In South Africa the social dynamics of resource users of inland fisheries have never been assessed. The purpose of this study was to assess the human dimensions of the anglers utilising the fishery in Lake Gariep, South Africa’s largest impoundment. The study was based on 357 first-time interviews conducted on the lakeshore between October 2006 and December 2007. Anglers were categorised as recreational (39%) or subsistence (61%) based on their residency, occupation, primary motivation for angling, mode of transport and gear use. Subsistence anglers were local (99%), residing within 10 km of the place where they were interviewed, while recreational anglers included both local resident and non-resident members. The racial composition of anglers was dependent on user group and differed significantly (p ≤ 0.05) from the demographic composition of the regional population. Recreational anglers were predominantly White (≥ 60% of interviews) and Coloured (≥ 25%), while 84% of subsistence anglers were Coloured and 16% Black African. Most recreational anglers had permanent employment or were pensioners while <30% of subsistence anglers were permanently employed. Most recreational users (82%) accessed the lake with their own vehicle while subsistence anglers mainly walked (63%) or used a bicycle (28%). Recreational interviewees either consumed (59%), sold (11%), gave away (10%) or released (20%) some of their catch. Subsistence anglers either ate their catch (53%) and/or sold (41%) their catch. Within the subsistence sector no anglers released fish after capture or gave some of the catch away. We conclude that this inland fishery contributes to the livelihood of the rural poor who use the lake on a subsistence basis and that recreational-angler based tourism may contribute to increased income and employment opportunities through related service industries.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
- Authors: Ellender, Bruce R , Weyl, Olaf L F , Winker, A Henning
- Date: 2009
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6778 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1008088
- Description: The African Union’s prioritisation of inland fisheries as an investment area for poverty alleviation and regional economic development will require the development of management plans. These should be based on sound knowledge of the social dynamics of the resource users. In South Africa the social dynamics of resource users of inland fisheries have never been assessed. The purpose of this study was to assess the human dimensions of the anglers utilising the fishery in Lake Gariep, South Africa’s largest impoundment. The study was based on 357 first-time interviews conducted on the lakeshore between October 2006 and December 2007. Anglers were categorised as recreational (39%) or subsistence (61%) based on their residency, occupation, primary motivation for angling, mode of transport and gear use. Subsistence anglers were local (99%), residing within 10 km of the place where they were interviewed, while recreational anglers included both local resident and non-resident members. The racial composition of anglers was dependent on user group and differed significantly (p ≤ 0.05) from the demographic composition of the regional population. Recreational anglers were predominantly White (≥ 60% of interviews) and Coloured (≥ 25%), while 84% of subsistence anglers were Coloured and 16% Black African. Most recreational anglers had permanent employment or were pensioners while <30% of subsistence anglers were permanently employed. Most recreational users (82%) accessed the lake with their own vehicle while subsistence anglers mainly walked (63%) or used a bicycle (28%). Recreational interviewees either consumed (59%), sold (11%), gave away (10%) or released (20%) some of their catch. Subsistence anglers either ate their catch (53%) and/or sold (41%) their catch. Within the subsistence sector no anglers released fish after capture or gave some of the catch away. We conclude that this inland fishery contributes to the livelihood of the rural poor who use the lake on a subsistence basis and that recreational-angler based tourism may contribute to increased income and employment opportunities through related service industries.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2009
The need for an inland fisheries policy in South Africa : a case study of the North West Province
- Weyl, Olaf L F, Potts, Warren M, Rouhani, Q
- Authors: Weyl, Olaf L F , Potts, Warren M , Rouhani, Q
- Date: 2007
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6769 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1008056
- Description: In contrast to many other African countries, inland fisheries in South Africa are poorly developed and the fish populations in many of the country’s 3 000 major dams are under-utilised. While the primary purpose South Africa’s dams is to supply water for domestic and agricultural use, there has been an increasing realisation that their fish populations could make a contribution to food security through the establishment of capture fisheries. Historically, the fish in most South African dams have primarily been utilised for recreational fishing purposes, as subsistence use was criminalised by the apartheid regime in all waters except in the former homeland areas. This legacy persists as many of South Africa’s rural communities do not have a fishing tradition and there is a lack of an institutional framework to facilitate managed and sustainable access to the fish resource in inland waters. Current utilisation of many inland dams is often complicated by the existence of multiple authorities and interest groups, often with competing agendas. As a result, the economic potential of these water bodies is unknown and often grossly underutilised. Our study outlines a case study of fisheries resources in the North West Province of South Africa that could be used for the creation of income and food security for local communities through the development of subsistence, commercial, and recreational fisheries. The study identifies the lack of guidelines for the development of inland fisheries and the lack of an inland fisheries policy, both at the provincial and national level, as major bottlenecks for the sustainable development of these resources and outlines possible focal areas for intervention.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
- Authors: Weyl, Olaf L F , Potts, Warren M , Rouhani, Q
- Date: 2007
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6769 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1008056
- Description: In contrast to many other African countries, inland fisheries in South Africa are poorly developed and the fish populations in many of the country’s 3 000 major dams are under-utilised. While the primary purpose South Africa’s dams is to supply water for domestic and agricultural use, there has been an increasing realisation that their fish populations could make a contribution to food security through the establishment of capture fisheries. Historically, the fish in most South African dams have primarily been utilised for recreational fishing purposes, as subsistence use was criminalised by the apartheid regime in all waters except in the former homeland areas. This legacy persists as many of South Africa’s rural communities do not have a fishing tradition and there is a lack of an institutional framework to facilitate managed and sustainable access to the fish resource in inland waters. Current utilisation of many inland dams is often complicated by the existence of multiple authorities and interest groups, often with competing agendas. As a result, the economic potential of these water bodies is unknown and often grossly underutilised. Our study outlines a case study of fisheries resources in the North West Province of South Africa that could be used for the creation of income and food security for local communities through the development of subsistence, commercial, and recreational fisheries. The study identifies the lack of guidelines for the development of inland fisheries and the lack of an inland fisheries policy, both at the provincial and national level, as major bottlenecks for the sustainable development of these resources and outlines possible focal areas for intervention.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2007
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