Tagging NewsTagging News

News from the ORI Cooperative Fish Tagging Project

Number 29, Published July 2016, Results from 2015

TAGGING

OFF A

FISHING

SKI

TAGGING

OFF A

FISHING

SKI

TOP

TAGGERS

TOP

TAGGERS

MAIN SPECIES

TAGGED

MAIN SPECIES

TAGGED

MARINE PROTECTED AREAS:

RECOMMENDATIONS

FROM TAGGING

MARINE PROTECTED AREAS:

RECOMMENDATIONS

FROM TAGGING

A DECADE OF FISH

MOVEMENT RESEARCH

A DECADE OF FISH

MOVEMENT RESEARCH

EXCITING

RECAPTURES

EXCITING

RECAPTURES

2 www.oritag.org.za

The Tagging News is edited by Stuart Dunlop, Bruce Mann and Bernadine Everett

Contact information:Oceanographic Research Institute

Postal address:PO Box 736Durban4000

Cell: +27 79 529 0711Tel: +27 31 328 8222Fax: +27 31 328 8188Email: oritag@ori.org.za

Cover photo: Johnathan Bishop with a tagged white musselcracker

From the tagging officer ...Welcome to the 29th edition of the Tagging News. With thepositive feedback we received for the colour upgrade of our2015 edition (available at www.oritag.org.za), whichmarked the 30 consecutive year of the ORI-CooperativeFish Tagging Project, we have decided to keep the freshnew look.

The Tagging News has been communicating the results ofthe cooperation between fishery scientists and anglers formore than three decades and has successfully promotedethical angling while tracking the growth, migration andmovement patterns of some of our common linefishspecies caught along the southern African coast. Thenumber of fish tagged during 2015 (12 174) represents thesecond highest number of fish tagged since the projectbegan in 1984, only just below the record of 12 777 taggedin 1993 (see page 4). This was despite a decrease in thenumber of new (93) and active (453) members from 2014.Such a result is very encouraging with the averagemember tagging around 27 fish in 2015, compared to 25and 23 fish per tagger in 2014 and 2013 respectively. Thisbrings the total number of fish tagged in this Project to298 068!

Following a rapid increase in tagging during the late 1980sand early 1990s, the Tagging Project became stricter interms of which species were tagged, and adopted a rule ofquality rather than quantity (see page 4). Despite an initialdecrease in the number of fish tagged, since 2007 morethan 9 000 fish have been tagged each year, with theaverage in the last five years being well over 11 000.However, a worrying statistic is that only 35% of our 5 580members have tagged 10 or more fish - maybe it is time forsome of our members to dust off those tagging kits and gofishing! Members who are no longer active are encouragedto please consider returning unused tags to ORI as we canreissue them.Alternatively, the tags can be passed on to anexisting active member. However, please remember toinform us first before you do so!

The number of recaptures reported (1 091 or 9%) was thehighest in the Tagging Project's history and has beensteadily increasing since 2010. This is likely because thereis an ever increasing pool of tagged fish, it has become fareasier to report recaptures (email/sms/WhatsApp, etc.)and more people are hopefully now aware of the TaggingProject. If you do hear of any fellow anglers catching atagged fish, please offer to assist them in reporting the rightinformation timeously to ORI. As members of the TaggingProject, we all have a duty to ensure the correct handlingand reporting of tagged fish.

The numbers of fish tagged each year varies for manyreasons, not least of which is the availability of differentspecies to anglers at different times and locations. The

figures on the adjacent page highlight the percentage offish tagged along the southern African coastline and showthe top 10 species tagged in 2015 and overall since theTagging Project began. SouthAfrica's national fish, galjoen(13.8%), remained the top species tagged in 2015 andoverall. This is the 27 consecutive year that it has been themost tagged fish. Dusky kob (9.0%), dusky shark (8.1%),garrick/leervis (7.3%) and spotted grunter (6.3%) made upthe remainder of the top five species tagged in 2015. Thenumber of shad/elf (2.3%) and white steenbras (1.7%)tagged in 2015 dropped from 2014 numbers, with bothspecies falling out of the top 10 species tagged list. Thenumber of yellowbelly rockcod tagged again exceeded 2%during 2015 which is interesting if one considers that thisspecies is deemed to be overfished. Is this a possiblerecovery of yellowbelly numbers as a result of betterregulations introduced in 2005? There was also anincrease in the number of largespot pompano/wave garricktagged during 2015, which is encouraging considering thiscommonly caught surf-species has no size limit and a baglimit of five per person per day. This is only the second timesince 2011 that this species has made the top 10 speciestagged list. Both these increases, however, may beexplained by the increased numbers of yellowbellys andlargespot pompanos being tagged in ORI’s MarineProtectedArea projects (see pages 10 and 11).

The Western Cape (22.0%) and Eastern Cape (21.5%)remained the regions where the bulk of the tagging tookplace. This result is expected as there are far more taggingmembers residing in these areas as well as a higherbiomass of fish species that can be targeted all year roundboth from the shore and offshore. Zululand (14.6%),Southern Cape (13.7%) and KwaZulu-Natal (13.4%) alsohad reasonable numbers of fish tagged in 2015, with bothZululand and KwaZulu-Natal increasing by 2.4% and 3.6%respectively from 2014.

We sincerely hope that you enjoy this exciting issue of theTagging News. We would like to say a big Thank You to allof our tagging members for their ongoing support, as wellas to the numerous anglers who have provided informationon tag recaptures. The long-term success of this project isentirely thanks to your on-going contributions towards thewise use and conservation of our marine linefish species.For those of you who have not already seen your taggingprofile, please go to www.oritag.org.za. To login you needto enter your tagging reference number, e.g. TA0218, andrepeat this number as your password. The tagginginstruction booklet, Tagging News and the electronicdatasheets for tag release and recapture submissions viaemail/fax are available for download from the website. Ifpossible, we prefer fordata submission as it guarantees that we receive the data.Please feel free to distribute the Tagging News to yourfellow anglers. We wish you tight lines and happy tagging.

th

th

the use of the electronic datasheets

Stuart Dunlop

www.oritag.org.za 3

Percentage of Fish Tagged Along the Southern African Coast in 2015(percentages in brackets indicate overall distribution of tagging since 1984)

Galjoen14% (20%)

Garrick7% (5%)

Dusky kob9% (6%)

Spotted grunter6% (4%)

Spotted ragged-tooth shark3% (2%)

Largespot pompano / wave garrick3% (1%)

Dusky shark8% (5%)

Spotted gulleyshark3% (3%)

Yellowbelly rockcod2% (1%)

Blackspot smoothhound shark3% (2%)

Top 10 Species Tagged in 2015(percentages in brackets indicate overall composition of tagging since 1984)

0.3%

14.6%

13.4%

7.9%

22.0%13.7%

21.5%

3.2%

3.3%

WestCoast

WesternCape

SouthernCape

EasternCape

Border

Transkei

Natal

Zululand

Mozambique(2.2%)

(13.8%)

(9.9%)

(4.1%)

(16.9%)(7.5%)(26.6%)

(6.6%)(7.0%)

Namibia(4.8%)

0.2%

4 www.oritag.org.za

Fish tagged per year and per angler % fish recaptured per year andcumulative number of fish tagged

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

2014

Avera

ge

fish

tag

ged

/an

gle

r/year

Fis

hta

gg

ed

/year

Year

Total no. tagged

Average no. tagged per angler

0

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

300000

350000

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

7.0

8.0

9.0

10.0

19

84

19

86

19

88

19

90

19

92

19

94

19

96

19

98

20

00

20

02

20

04

20

06

20

08

20

10

20

12

20

14

Year

Recap %

Cumulative no. tagged

Perc

en

tag

ere

cap

ture

d

Cu

mu

lati

ve

no

.ta

gg

ed

Being a lover of the big blue, a budding “citizen-scientist” and acompulsive list-maker, tagging off a fishing ski created a greatplatform for me to satisfy all these aspects of my character, with theadded benefit of being able to give back as I take out! Programmessuch as the ORI Tagging Project and the South African Bird AtlasProject meet this need, but not without their challenges! Themajority of fish I have tagged to date have been off a fishing ski, so Isuppose that's something unique, but finding a way to effectivelyfish and tag off a fishing ski has proved challenging but surprisinglyrewarding.

On a typical trip launching out the “gap” to fish on the wild side ofPort Elizabeth (PE), I record avian pelagics such as the majesticIndian yellow-nosed albatross whilst paddling to my fishing mark,noting them for a later submission to the South African Bird AtlasProject. But once I get to the mark and the fishing begins, outcomes my tagging kit, now an indispensable part of my fishing set-up.

Tagging most importantly provides data for the scientists andmanagers of our fish stocks, but I have also found that it has had apositive influence on those whom I fish with and the way we fish hasbeen changed for the better. Tagging has provided us with a newreason to catch fish, with the result being that we are more likely toonly take those species that are sustainable, and what we can eatfresh that weekend! All “other” fish that we catch are now taggedand released. One of the main challenges of tagging off a fishingski, however, revolves around a lack of working space! As one canimagine, a fishing ski has a narrow work space of approximately 60cm. So depending on the size of the fish you are tagging, either youhave to place the fish across your lap, or in between your legs onthe wet well hatch. To date I have been able to tag a number oflarger fish in the 1 m range by placing them on my lap. This is mainlydue to the fish going “lame” in a suspended state of shock. Ibelieved this was the best tagging method until a 20 kg dusky kobstrongly objected to the applicator needle being inserted, andalmost knocked me out as it flew over my shoulder back into thedeep blue! The second method of placing the fish between yourlegs also has an obvious danger, particularly from fish with 'fangs',

such as red steenbras, or the snapping elf/shad with their razor-sharp teeth!

Fishing from a ski, in general, makes everything “up close andpersonal”, and dealing with some species can be hazardous, theyellowbelly rockcod and the red steenbras in particular have aserious set of 'spines' and stiletto-like, gill-rakers that quicklylacerate the hands of the unsuspecting tagger. A simple solution tothis problem, which I encourage, is to wear a glove, with which tohold the fish firmly when tagging.

One quickly learns how important it is to a keep a fish under controlon a ski, especially when using a two hook snoot set-up, as one caneasily be hooked by the free hook, as the fish thrashes around onyour lap. Measurement of the fish is often tricky off a ski, but this canbe made easier by placing a fixed measuring sticker on the side ofthe ski. For larger fish, it is better to use the measuring tapeprovided by ORI. Sometimes the fish do, however, get the better ofyou and release themselves before a measurement can be taken.

The upside of tagging fish from a fishing ski is that one can swiftlywork with the fish, returning it to its natural environmentimmediately. However, it is vital to have one's kit accessible andorganised, making the fish’s time out of the water minimal, even if itmeans having to later decipher information from soggy tag cards!Possibly the greatest advantage of tagging off a fishing ski is thecloseness to the water and that personal “feel good moment” withevery fish tagged and released, as you see it swim strongly downand out of sight to safety into the environment from whence it came.

The red steenbras is the fish that has most clearly changed myfishing outlook. In PE, we are privileged to enjoy a coastline thatappears to be a nursery area for this species, with smallerspecimens of below 750 mm being encountered regularly. Theaggressive nature of the red steenbras means that it is the first toattack a bait presented over any healthy section of reef where itresides. The result is that the majority of the tags and recapturesthat I have had are of red steenbras. To illustrate this, out of 324 fishthat I have tagged to date, 51 have been red steenbras, and ofthose, 26 have been recaptured (51%), which is remarkable. Someof these fish I have recaptured personally, and at the same localityeach year. One red steenbras I remember in particular, Inicknamed “Fangs” as he tagged me with a good puncture woundon the top of my finger when I first met him. I have since recaughthim twice, but I am now wiser and more careful so I can ensure thatwe both get away without any injury! In 3 years, Fangs was taggedand recaptured twice within an 800 m radius, and grew 200 mm(from 520 mm in December 2013 to 720 mm in January 2016). Onecan only wonder how long a fish such as this would last in a worldwithout limits set by informed scientists?

The crux of the matter is that without the regulators our track recordis such that we (humankind) will fish the sea to extinction. Theregulators require guidance that is both sensible, and reliable. Solet's sharpen those applicators, and TAG ON!

Tagging off a fishing ski -the challenges and rewards

By Brendan O'Connell - ORI Tagging Member

Tagging off a fishing ski -the challenges and rewards

By Brendan O'Connell - ORI Tagging Member

www.oritag.org.za 5

Top Taggers: 10 or more fish in 2015M

em

be

rN

am

eF

ac

et

20

15

To

tal

Re

ca

pt.

%R

ec

ap

t.M

em

be

rN

am

eF

ac

et

20

15

To

tal

Re

ca

pt.

%R

ec

ap

t.M

em

be

rN

am

eF

ac

et

20

15

To

tal

Re

ca

pt.

%R

ec

ap

t.

MR

.W

.C

OE

TZ

EE

DS

311

45

92

65

.66

MR

.C

.F.

MA

RA

ISR

S3

17

33

42

5.7

3M

R.

P.

GE

RV

AIS

RS

15

97

88

.25

MR

.J.

DE

JA

GE

RR

S/D

S2

01

26

43

51

3.2

6M

R.

K.

LL

OY

DR

S/E

ST

30

30

26

.67

MR

.J.

LO

UW

RS

15

60

11

.67

MR

.R

.K

YL

ER

S/E

ST

17

81

50

81

57

10

.41

MR

.J.

PY

BU

SR

S2

94

80

15

3.1

3M

R.

J.

MO

OR

CR

OF

TR

S/E

ST

15

27

00

MR

.N

.D

EK

OC

KR

S/D

S1

76

16

65

10

26

.13

DR

.R

.V

AN

DE

RW

ALT

RS

/ES

T2

93

50

0M

R.A

.A

SP

EL

ING

RS

14

23

14

.35

MR

.K

.A.

HU

MP

HR

EY

SE

ST

/RS

17

51

24

07

15

.73

MR

.C

.B

EZ

UID

EN

HO

UT

RS

/ES

T2

89

25

5.4

3M

R.

S.

BR

ILL

RS

/DS

14

39

25

.13

MR

.S

.M

EY

RS

/ES

T1

75

74

52

83

.76

MR

.D

.W.

HE

RT

ZO

GR

S2

84

31

2.3

3M

R.

J.

CO

AT

ES

ES

T1

42

77

15

5.4

2

MR

.C

.J.

NIE

HA

US

RS

/ES

T1

51

90

42

83

.1M

R.

C.F

.M.

BE

ZU

IDE

NH

OU

TR

S/D

S2

74

51

2.2

2M

R.T.T

.H

UM

PH

RE

YS

RS

/ES

T1

43

10

0

MR

.L

.A

LL

ISO

NR

S/E

ST

14

42

72

20

7.3

5M

R.

C.

BO

TE

SE

ST

/FLY

27

12

15

4.1

3M

R.

C.

LA

ING

RS

14

61

00

MR

.S

.V

AN

ZY

LR

S/E

ST

10

61

92

52

.6M

R.

C.D

.L

ILF

OR

DE

ST

/RS

27

24

40

11

44

.67

MR

.J.

NE

LL

RS

/ES

T1

41

82

11

.11

MR

.G

.M

AR

CH

AN

DD

S/R

S1

04

47

24

69

.75

MR

.G

.M

UL

LE

RE

ST

/DS

26

98

22

.04

MR

.R

.T

HO

MP

SO

NR

S1

46

16

24

3.9

MR

.C

.N

EL

SO

NR

S9

84

60

26

5.6

5M

R.

W.

PO

TT

SR

S/E

ST

26

17

71

05

.65

MR

.J.T

HE

RO

NR

S/E

ST

14

34

25

.88

MR

.D

.M.

IRV

INE

RS

97

32

74

11

2.5

4M

R.

P.T

ER

BL

AN

CH

ER

S/E

ST

26

10

52

1.9

MR

.C

.W

ILK

INS

ON

RS

14

15

27

4.6

1

MR

.B

.F

ER

RE

IRA

ES

T9

45

20

10

1.9

2M

R.

G.

HE

IMD

S/R

S2

58

82

2.2

7M

R.

J.G

.B

OZ

MA

NR

S/E

ST

13

25

14

MR

.C

.R

EIM

AN

RS

/DS

86

36

91

54

.07

MR

.S

.N.

HU

MP

HR

EY

SE

ST

/RS

25

28

00

MR

.T.

ELV

IN-J

EN

SE

NE

ST

/RS

13

13

97

5.0

4

MR

.S

.W

AL

KE

RR

S/E

ST

84

50

12

34

66

.9M

R.

M.

MA

RE

ER

S/E

ST

25

70

00

MR

.B

.G

ER

BE

RR

S/E

ST

13

43

12

.33

MR

.D

.C

OL

ER

S/D

S8

13

63

51

.38

MR

.D

.P

AU

TZ

DS

/ES

T2

53

94

32

8.1

2M

R.

S.

JO

RD

AA

NR

S/E

ST

13

18

00

MR

.P.C

.O

OS

TH

UIZ

EN

ES

T/D

S8

13

48

67

19

.25

MR

.J.F

.P

RE

TO

RIU

SR

S2

59

15

5.4

9M

R.

M.

MC

IVE

RR

S1

33

01

3.3

3

MR

.C

.H

AR

TR

S7

92

48

81

59

6.3

9M

R.A

.D

UP

LE

SS

ISD

S/R

S2

41

88

31

.6M

R.

B.

MO

OL

MA

NR

S1

32

42

8.3

3

MR

.B

.M.

OC

ON

NE

LL

DS

76

31

64

41

3.9

2M

R.

D.F

.V

AN

DY

KR

S2

43

82

5.2

6M

R.

R.

SC

OT

TD

S1

31

30

0

MR

.K

.S

MIT

HD

S/E

ST

76

64

52

53

.88

MR

.M

.V

LC

EK

RS

24

14

01

28

.57

MR

.P.H

.V

AN

NIM

WE

GE

ND

S/R

S1

31

78

11

6.1

8

MR

.J.P

.M

cC

AR

TH

YR

S/D

S7

42

12

18

8.4

9M

R.

O.

VO

NH

AS

SE

LN

ES

T/D

S2

41

76

52

.84

DR

.C

.A

TT

WO

OD

RS

/ES

T1

22

92

17

5.8

2

MR

.B

.S

PA

RG

RS

/ES

T7

42

04

71

05

5.1

3M

R.

W.N

.R.

BO

TH

AR

S/E

ST

23

28

13

.57

MR

.T.

BE

UK

ES

DS

/RS

12

87

13

14

.94

MR

.M

.W

EE

DM

AN

RS

/ES

T7

41

77

10

5.6

5M

R.

G.

BR

OW

NR

S2

311

84

3.3

9M

R.A

.B

OT

HA

RS

12

77

25

57

.12

MR

.E

.K

YL

ER

S/E

ST

73

16

25

27

91

7.1

7M

R.

W.

PO

TG

IET

ER

RS

/ES

T2

33

40

0M

R.A

.W.

ER

AS

MU

SR

S1

21

21

8.3

3

MR

.R

.TA

YL

OR

RS

73

20

32

09

.85

MR

.A

.A

RT

HU

RR

S/E

ST

22

89

77

.87

MR

.A

.H

EA

TH

RS

/ES

T1

25

42

3.7

MR

.D

.G

OV

IND

ER

RS

68

20

02

81

4M

R.

B.

HA

RR

ISR

S/E

ST

22

27

13

.7M

R.

C.

JO

HN

ST

ON

RS

12

64

57

.81

MR

.M

.D

OH

LH

OF

FE

ST

67

29

51

03

.39

MIS

S.

K.

KY

LE

RS

/ES

T2

22

17

15

6.9

1M

R.

J.

JO

NK

ER

RS

12

18

00

MR

.G

.G

RO

BL

ER

ES

T6

34

45

26

5.8

4M

R.

R.

MA

GG

SE

ST

/DS

22

73

45

.48

MR

.B

.K

AR

PR

S/D

S1

23

40

0

MR

.P.

MC

DO

NA

LD

RS

/ES

T6

35

44

22

4.0

4M

R.

P.

MO

RR

ISR

S2

27

76

48

6.1

9M

R.

J.E

.K

UN

ES

T/D

S1

23

25

16

4.9

2

MR

.M

.M

OL

EN

AA

RR

S6

34

85

23

4.7

4M

R.

R.

PO

TG

IET

ER

RS

/ES

T2

24

82

19

3.9

4M

R.

B.K

.A.

LA

NG

ED

S/E

ST

12

35

95

51

5.3

2

MR

.J.

OO

ST

HU

IZE

ND

S6

12

14

57

26

.64

DR

.R

.V

AN

HE

ER

DE

NR

S2

24

09

11

2.6

9M

R.

D.

NA

IDO

OR

S1

21

83

16

.67

MR

.K

.H

AN

SE

NR

S/E

ST

60

27

59

3.2

7M

R.A

.V

AN

DE

RW

ALT

RS

22

87

11

.15

DR

.S

.L.

SU

TH

ER

LA

ND

RS

12

12

34

3.2

5

MR

.L

.S

MIT

HR

S6

03

64

16

4.4

MR

.R

.C

AM

PB

EL

LR

S2

18

32

2.4

1M

R.

J.

VA

NR

HY

NR

S1

21

34

85

.97

MR

.B

.F

UC

HS

RS

59

94

33

.19

MR

.H

.C

RO

US

DS

/RS

21

68

53

85

.55

MR

.B

.F.

VA

NW

YK

RS

/ES

T1

24

95

23

4.6

5

MR

.J.P

.G

EL

DE

NH

UY

SR

S/E

ST

59

21

911

5.0

2M

R.

S.

HU

MP

HR

EY

SR

S/E

ST

21

20

41

0.4

9M

R.

M.M

.V

ILJO

EN

RS

/ES

T1

22

43

12

.5

DR

.J.J

.D

EL

AH

AR

PE

RS

/ES

T5

49

49

69

7.2

7M

NR

.A

.K

RA

HT

ZR

S2

12

15

13

6.0

5M

R.

R.

WA

RR

EN

RS

/DS

12

81

11

.23

MR

.J.

BR

INK

RS

/ES

T5

31

88

42

.13

DR

.D

.E.

MA

LA

NR

S/E

ST

21

15

25

3.2

9M

R.

C.

CA

RR

UT

HE

RS

RS

/DS

11

32

26

.25

MR

.D

.R

ED

DY

RS

53

76

79

.21

MR

.R

.C

OO

KD

S2

01

04

15

14

.42

MR

.C

.H.

DE

LA

HA

RP

ER

S/E

ST

11

32

14

31

3.4

MR

.P.D

.M

UL

LE

RJN

RR

S5

25

59

17

3.0

4M

R.

P.

CU

RR

IER

S/E

ST

20

59

00

MR

.C

.G

RO

EN

EW

AL

DR

S11

24

81

66

.45

MR

.S

.O

OS

TH

UIZ

EN

RS

/ES

T5

22

92

22

7.5

3M

R.

J.

ISM

AIL

RS

20

28

41

4.2

9M

R.T.M

.H

AN

SE

ND

S/G

AM

E11

57

11

.75

MR

.G

.S

AV

ILL

EE

ST

52

96

04

64

.79

MR

.E

.O

WE

NR

S/D

S2

04

54

8.8

9M

R.

W.

KR

ITZ

ING

ER

RS

11

68

11

.47

MR

.E

.S

TE

YL

SR

S/E

ST

50

69

22

.9M

R.

J.

SC

OT

TR

S/E

ST

20

46

52

34

.95

MR

.B

.M

EN

TO

OR

RS

/ES

T11

25

00

MR

.B

.D.

CA

RR

RS

/DS

49

79

05

16

.46

MR

.G

.S

CH

LE

CH

TE

RD

S/E

ST

20

20

42

0M

R.

R.B

.M

UL

LE

RR

S11

22

94

1.7

5

MR

.L

.TA

YL

OR

RS

49

15

84

2.5

3M

R.A

.D.

BO

ON

ZA

IER

RS

/DS

19

64

46

.25

MR

.W

.B.

MU

LL

INS

DS

/ES

T11

62

23

.23

MR

.V

.R

EIL

LY

RS

47

88

12

13

.64

MR

.L

.D

AV

IDO

WIT

ZE

ST

/RS

19

19

77

3.5

5M

R.

P.

VA

ND

ER

WE

ST

HU

IZE

NR

S/E

ST

11

12

211

9.0

2

MR

.C

.V

EU

GE

LE

RS

ES

T4

71

35

75

.19

MR

.B

.G

RO

BB

LE

RR

S1

91

36

11

8.0

9M

R.

M.

VA

NZ

YL

ES

T/R

S11

11

00

MR

.S

.D

UN

LO

PR

S/D

S4

52

37

19

8.0

2M

R.

J.

LO

RD

RS

/ES

T1

97

54

5.3

3D

R.

M.

BR

OW

NR

S/E

ST

10

12

18

.33

MR

.L

.M

CK

EN

ZIE

RS

45

11

88

6.7

8M

R.

G.

PO

LL

AR

DD

S1

91

52

31

.97

MR

.W

.C

OL

EM

AN

RS

10

12

53

2.4

MR

.G

.V.

GO

UG

HR

S/E

ST

42

36

11

95

.26

MR

.J.D

.L

IND

SA

YR

S1

82

88

14

4.8

6M

R.

P.

LE

HM

AN

FLY

/BO

T1

02

70

0

MR

.R

.A.

SH

EP

HE

RD

ES

T/F

LY

42

54

12

34

.25

MR

.A

.V

ILJO

EN

DS

/ES

T1

82

30

0M

R.A

.M

AN

NR

S/E

ST

10

80

13

16

.25

MR

.M

.W

HIT

EE

ST

42

58

64

17

MR

.G

.W

RIG

HT

RS

/ES

T1

83

50

0M

R.

C.

MA

RK

SR

S/E

ST

10

34

25

.88

MR

.J.

LU

EF

DS

/RS

40

32

94

01

2.1

6M

R.

G.

WA

RN

ER

RS

17

12

56

4.8

MR

.G

.M

CL

EA

NR

S/E

ST

10

10

00

MR

.R

.F.

BU

RG

ER

RS

/ES

T3

91

98

52

.53

MR

.W

.R.

BA

RF

OO

TE

ST

/RS

17

32

26

.25

MR

.N

.S.

NA

IDO

OR

S1

03

70

0

MR

.S

.S

PO

WA

RT

DS

/ES

T3

95

30

0M

R.

G.P

.B

EA

UM

ON

TR

S/D

S1

72

78

62

.16

MR

.C

.N

EIL

RS

10

40

12

.5

MR

.C

.L

IEB

EN

BE

RG

RS

/ES

T3

75

91

1.6

9M

R.

Q.

CA

TH

ER

INE

RS

/DS

17

22

81

25

.26

MR

.G

.N

IEW

OU

DT

DS

10

18

00

MR

.J.A

SH

ER

WO

OD

RS

35

37

21

43

.76

MR

.B

.F

OR

RE

RR

S/E

ST

17

35

00

MR

.C

.P

IKE

RS

/DS

10

15

511

7.1

MR

.C

.K.

DE

CL

ER

CQ

RS

35

48

21

93

.94

MR

.R

.S

ING

HR

S1

711

71

311

.11

MR

S.

K.

SC

OT

TR

S/E

ST

10

98

99

.18

MR

.B

.S

NY

MA

ND

S/R

S3

55

00

0M

R.

N.

ST

ON

EE

ST

/RS

17

10

87

6.4

8M

R.A

.S

CH

MID

TR

S1

02

30

0

MR

.G

.S

HO

UG

HR

S3

44

70

0M

R.

R.

BE

RM

AN

ES

T/R

S1

66

83

4.4

1M

R.

K.W

.S

TA

CE

YR

S/E

ST

10

18

15

.56

MR

.D

.M

UL

LE

RR

S/D

S3

38

50

0M

R.

W.

LA

BU

SC

HA

GN

ER

S1

66

10

0M

R.

B.

SW

AN

EP

OE

LR

S1

01

63

18

.75

MR

.D

.S

OL

OM

ON

DS

/ES

T3

311

93

32

7.7

3M

R.

P.

RO

SS

OU

WR

S1

67

96

7.5

9M

R.

B.T

ED

DE

RR

S1

011

33

2.6

5

MR

&M

RS

.R

.V

AN

DE

RS

AN

DT

RS

33

25

61

45

.47

MR

.D

.B

EZ

UID

EN

HO

UT

RS

15

14

11

07

.09

MR

.C

.V

AN

ZY

LR

S/E

ST

10

25

00

MR

.K

.W

EB

BE

RD

S3

32

09

94

.31

MR

.B

.C

RO

NE

YD

S1

53

50

0M

R.

B.

WO

OD

RO

FF

ER

S1

01

02

13

12

.75

MR

.C

.S.

MU

LL

ER

RS

/ES

T3

23

20

15

4.6

9M

R.

E.

DIE

NR

S/E

ST

15

62

23

.23

MR

.C

.E

RA

SM

US

ES

T/R

S3

17

54

5.3

3M

R.T.

EG

ER

SD

OR

FE

RR

S1

56

60

73

11

.06

BF

=B

illfish,D

S=

Deep

sea,E

ST

=E

stu

ary

,F

LY=

Fly

fishin

g,R

S=

Rock

and

surf

6 www.oritag.org.za

www.oritag.org.za 7

8 www.oritag.org.zaPriority species for tagging are highlighted with colour

Main fish species tagged up to 31 December 2015Main fish species tagged up to 31 December 2015No. % Avg. Max. Avg. Max. No. % Avg. Max. Avg. Max.

Galjoen 60863 4233 6.95 43 1892 423 5815 Blue marlin 389 0 0 0 0

Dusky kob 17730 1173 6.62 27 1625 322 4370 Bonefish 383 2 0.52 4 6 46 75

Garrick/leervis 14096 942 6.68 240 1670 329 3208 White stumpnose 360 5 1.39 1 3 245 463

Dusky shark 13430 961 7.16 70 1374 103 2772 Hottentot 353 14 3.97 2 10 269 1078

Spotted grunter 11447 317 2.77 12 823 261 2950 Pickhandle barracuda 344 57 16.57 2 44 269 1856

Copper/bronze shark 9323 296 3.17 166 1790 431 3981 Largemouth queenfish 342 16 4.68 1 10 193 630

Blacktail 8719 213 2.44 6 358 266 2715 Red stumpnose 328 8 2.44 678 5303 802 1998

Spotted gulleyshark 8714 547 6.28 32 911 507 6332 Sandbar shark 327 6 1.83 166 345 250 536

Shad/elf 8422 319 3.79 266 5709 147 1106 Eastern little tuna 311 0 0 0 0

White steenbras 6921 353 5.1 38 804 278 2262 Flapnose houndshark 298 35 11.74 1 43 583 2216

Blackspot smooth houndshark 6591 195 2.96 46 582 574 2561 Puffadder shyshark 286 30 10.49 1 20 157 741

Lesser guitarfish/sandshark 6496 72 1.11 44 726 345 2572 Banded galjoen 274 5 1.82 112 562 230 507

Spotted ragged-tooth shark 5408 675 12.48 215 2966 742 8256 Bartail flathead 271 6 2.21 3 18 244 796

Slinger 5034 194 3.85 20 1110 197 1660 Bluntnose spiny dogfish 266 4 1.5 188 669 615 1476

Roman 4611 293 6.35 4 294 324 3549 Brown shyshark 266 11 4.14 1 10 405 997

Giant guitarfish/sandshark 4376 237 5.42 31 360 306 1945 Elephantfish/St Joseph 260 1 0.38 1342 1342 218 218

Largespot pompano 3576 64 1.79 14 270 244 1372 Lemonfish 260 12 4.62 0 2 230 749

Sailfish 3538 29 0.82 61 1060 150 727 Blackspot shark 252 6 2.38 35 192 281 708

Sevengill cow shark 3433 185 5.39 78 597 506 4332 Spearnose skate 246 8 3.25 0 3 222 462

Black musselcracker/poenskop 3416 270 7.9 14 488 523 6809 Bluefin kingfish 237 8 3.38 4 15 152 260

Diamond ray 3272 21 0.64 198 1577 501 2184 Snapper kob/salmon 214 10 4.67 20 132 170 378

Giant kingfish 3267 120 3.67 15 419 373 2226 Blue hottentot 211 6 2.84 0 0 106 199

Blue/marbled stingray 3102 9 0.29 42 234 379 1085 White seacatfish 200 4 2 14 21 595 1895

Zebra/wildeperd 3050 72 2.36 2 52 233 1399 Blue emperor 200 12 6 26 307 272 539

bronze bream 2872 100 3.48 21 799 190 1465 Malabar rockcod 196 28 14.29 1 8 225 1540

Yellowbelly rockcod 2611 478 18.31 6 355 347 2674 Whitespotted smoothhound shark 186 4 2.15 5 15 478 1627

Catface rockcod 2601 575 22.11 6 525 188 2867 Snoek (Cape) 181 1 0.55 136 136 491 491

White musselcracker 2526 75 2.97 55 843 523 2313 Greyspot guitarfish/sandshark 170 1 0.59 6 6 51 51

Carpenter 2500 24 0.96 46 290 926 4766 Javelin grunter 158 16 10.13 9 65 378 2940

Baardman/tasselfish/belman 2033 22 1.08 2 17 252 679 Dorado/dolphinfish 151 1 0.66 64 64 66 66

Speckled snapper 1989 824 41.43 2 146 275 2376 Spotted eagleray 139 2 1.44 8 15 460 850

Santer/soldier 1886 121 6.42 20 490 230 1683 Smallspotted pompano 128 3 2.34 4 13 135 220

Sharpnose stingray 1721 5 0.29 8 24 198 465 Englishman 128 4 3.13 2 6 266 554

Ladyfish/springer/skipjack 1641 30 1.83 25 412 369 1426 Cock grunter 108 5 4.63 14 65 144 490

Smooth hammerhead shark 1615 21 1.3 139 384 577 3075 Striped threadfin 107 2 1.87 5 9 51 63

Unidentified hammerhead sharks 1611 10 0.62 74 218 219 955 Flathead mullet 101 1 0.99 738 738 738 738

Albacore/longfin tuna 1510 36 2.38 303 1008 412 2585 Great barracuda 98 23 23.47 0 1 170 467

Natal stumpnose 1506 43 2.86 11 230 202 653 Short-tail stingray 97 3 3.09 77 231 830 2412

Perch/riverbream 1503 208 13.84 1 42 374 1583 Eeltail catfish 96 1 1.04 1 1 47 47

Red steenbras 1464 123 8.4 139 923 947 8080 Green jobfish 96 1 1.04 0 0 31 31

King mackerel/couta 1356 54 3.98 405 1552 582 2604 Russell snapper 95 3 3.16 0 1 328 896

River snapper 1330 254 19.1 3 391 297 2403 Cape gurnard 90 3 3.33 0 0 787 1947

Striped catshark 1305 98 7.51 6 381 298 2096 Maasbanker 88 0 0 0 0

Westcoast steenbras 1302 78 5.99 61 280 253 1449 Sliteye/tope shark 87 2 2.3 290 565 1334 2652

Brassy kingfish 1171 71 6.06 1 13 277 1441 Thorntail stingray 84 2 2.38 0 0 295 357

Grey grunter 1142 72 6.3 0 15 227 1099 Moustache rockcod 78 27 34.62 46 1200 411 2990

Cape stumpnose 1130 7 0.62 9 56 200 732 Spotted spiny dogfish 75 1 1.33 36 36 120 120

Dageraad 1099 66 6.01 16 592 317 1568 Blackfin reef shark 72 1 1.39 0 0 697 697

Duckbill ray 1073 10 0.93 17 123 572 1427 Oxeye tarpon 71 0 0 0 0

Skipjack tuna 1021 1 0.1 1061 1061 464 464 Banded catshark 67 8 11.94 16 55 423 1155

Soupfin shark 988 24 2.43 134 1034 771 3586 Striped mullet 65 1 1.54 1 1 230 230

Blacktip shark 978 38 3.89 92 1288 220 1148 Dark shyshark/catshark 64 54 84.38 0 0 98 626

Yellowfin tuna 973 13 1.34 664 5645 242 697 Longfin/tropical yellowtail 62 0 0 0 0

Cavebass 960 152 15.83 7 328 327 2255 Tomato rockcod 60 11 18.33 1 6 240 537

Scotsman 957 286 29.89 21 1211 458 2839 Bigeye stumpnose 59 2 3.39 2 3 33 38

Milkshark 922 25 2.71 91 363 187 772 Whitebarred rubberlip 59 1 1.69 1 1 176 176

Scalloped hammerhead shark 868 15 1.73 137 629 188 832 Java shark 58 2 3.45 14 18 67 76

Geelbek 826 8 0.97 28 218 94 293 Sailfin rubberlip 56 0 0 0 0

Black marlin 806 2 0.25 256 504 124 159 Atlantic bonito 55 0 0 0 0

Stonebream/stinker bream 792 9 1.14 75 524 242 563 Yellowspotted kingfish 54 0 0 0 0

Cape/giant yellowtail 782 31 3.96 171 1746 255 1287 Cape moony 53 0 0 0 0

Blacktip kingfish 745 26 3.49 4 54 146 545 Sand steenbras 52 1 1.92 0 0 79 79

Squaretail kob 726 39 5.37 8 266 147 2043 Doublespotted queenfish 52 0 0 0 0

Honeycomb stingray 687 11 1.6 1 8 401 2543 Blue/ferdy kingfish 52 0 0 0 0

Bigeye kingfish 680 34 5 11 163 233 2751 Greater yellowtail/amberjack 52 0 0 0 0

Spinner shark 642 22 3.43 101 1055 233 1295 Needlescaled queenfish 51 1 1.96 0 0 227 227

Seventy-four 619 18 2.91 70 521 478 2845 Yellowtail scad 51 0 0 0 0

Natal seacatfish 591 209 35.36 0 3 315 2031 Longfin kingfish 50 1 2 12 12 453 453

Eagle ray 586 4 0.68 14 49 278 635 Thintail thresher shark 46 0 0 0 0

Hardnose smooth houndshark 578 9 1.56 87 340 344 870 Concertina fish 45 0 0 0 0

Silver kob 548 18 3.28 15 134 216 839 Marbled electric ray 45 0 0 0 0

Leopard catshark 547 52 9.51 18 722 442 4431 Brown catshark 45 1 2.22 0 0 34 34

Striped marlin 542 2 0.37 805 848 202 379 Panga 45 0 0 0 0

Tiger shark 504 24 4.76 196 1751 379 1823 Lyretail rockcod 44 0 0 0 0

Janbruin/John Brown 500 14 2.8 1 12 110 279 Shortfin mako shark 43 4 9.3 19 69 294 786

Great white shark 499 14 2.81 345 1548 370 959 Round ribbontail ray 39 2 5.13 4 8 45 74

Zambezi shark 463 30 6.48 77 539 307 2599 Shortbill spearfish 39 0 0 0 0

Queen mackerel 460 3 0.65 4 12 376 1044 Wreckfish 39 2 5.13 4 7 231 388

Potato bass 433 25 5.77 2 22 333 2639 Blue shark 38 0 0 0 0

Halfmoon rockcod 409 78 19.07 1 49 430 2511 Steentjie 37 0 0 0 0

Southern pompano 390 23 5.9 61 464 132 848 Yellowfin emperor 36 4 11.11 0 0 441 1187

Total

tagged

Recaptured Km travelled Days freeTotal

tagged

Days freeRecaptured Km travelled

Species Species

Top 10 most exciting recaptures from 2015

www.oritag.org.za 9

Species Tag date Tag locality Tag size Tagger Recap Date Recap locality Recap

size

Recapturer Dist.

(km)

Days free Growth

(mm)

Comments

27/12/1997 Kasouga, Port

Alfred (ECape)

400

(0.9kg)

John White 10/07/2015 Port Edward (KZN) ?

(6.24kg)

Koos Du

Preez

455 6 404

(17.5 yrs)

? Second longest recorded

distance and time at

liberty for a poenskop

highlighting the slow

growth rate of this species

Blue emperor 10/05/2015 Mtamvuna, Port

Edward (Tkei)

325 ORI Scientist 10/11/2015 Port Durnford,

Mtunzini (KZN)

360 Kevin Boyder 307 184 35 Longest recorded distance

moved by a blue emperor,

normally quite resident

Cape

yellowtail

27/12/2014 Rooikrans, Cape

Point (WCape)

770 Matt

Louwrens

13/02/2015 Cape Agulhas,

Struisbaai (SCape)

790 Daniel La

Grange

277 48 20 Eastward movement at a

speed of 5.7 km per day

530 Kevin

Humphreys

29/06/2015 Xai-Xai,

Mozambique

? Subsistence

fisher

525 429 ? Longest recorded distance

moved by a catface, it is

possible there is some

northward movement of

adults for spawning

King mackerel/

couta

01/05/2011 Mkambati,

Pondoland (Tkei)

1 220 ORI Scientist 28/06/2015 Port Edward (KZN) 1 340 Francois de

Villiers

33 1519

(4.4 yrs)

120 Usually highly migratory,

recaptured only 33 km

away after 4 years,

possibly returned to the

same area

340 ORI Scientist 23/06/2015 Praia de Zavora,

Guinjata,

Mozambique

? Unknown 1110 1 350

(3.7 yrs)

? Longest recorded distance

moved by a slinger,

possible northward

movement of adults for

spawning

Spotted ragged-

tooth shark

12/06/2015 Gonubie, East

London (ECape)

1 560 Wade Botha 13/12/2015 Macassar, False

Bay (WCape)

1 590 David

Houghton

1151 184 30 6.2 km per day, raggies are

known to migrate between

KZN and the Eastern and

Western Cape

350 Gareth Gough 21/03/2015 Zinkwazi, Tugela

River (KZN)

370 Fazel Ali 524 561 20 This is only the 9th

stonebream recapture to

date and the longest

recorded distance moved

425 James

Shuttleworth

09/12/2015 Strandfontein,

False Bay (WCape)

670 Winston

Hendricks

343 880 245 Second longest distanced

moved for a white

steenbras, one of few that

moved west

584 ORI Scientist 01/11/2015 Zinkwazi, Tugela

River (KZN)

710

(6.5 kg)

Norman

Parnell

271 1 586

(4.3 yrs)

126 Poosible northward

spawning migration,

normally very resident

Black

musselcracker/

poenskop

Yellowbelly

rockcod

29/06/2011 Mkambati,

Pondoland (Tkei)

Stonebream/

stinkvis

06/09/2013 Kei Mouth (Tkei)

Slinger 12/10/2011 Mtentu,

Pondoland (Tkei)

Catface

rockcod

26/04/2014 Cape Vidal, St

Lucia (KZN)

White

Steenbras

12/07/2013 Breede River

(SCape)

10 www.oritag.org.za

Scientists and a dedicated angling team have beentagging fish from the shore in the St Lucia Marine Reserve(part of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park) north of CapeVidal since November 2001. During this period a total of6 613 fish from 71 different species have been tagged and1 004 fish (15.2%) from 17 species have been recaptured(including multiple recaptures of the same fish). The sizeof the home range (i.e. the area in which an animal livesand moves on a daily or periodic basis) for specificspecies was estimated where there was sufficientrecapture data (e.g. speckled snapper, cave bass,yellowbelly rockcod, catface rockcod, grey grunter, etc.).

For all of the species investigated the home range sizewas found to be relatively small and seldom exceeded

one kilometre in length of coastline, indicating high levelsof residency and site fidelity. Considering the home rangesize of these common surf-zone fish species and bestpractice guidelines on the size of the area required toprotect a viable population of resident surf-zone fishspecies, the minimum size of a no-take sanctuary area(NTAs) was estimated. Furthermore, to ensure adequateconnectivity between protected fish populations, thedistance apart that such NTAs needed to be wasestimated based on the movement patterns of fish thatdisplayed ranging type behaviour (i.e. fish that abandontheir home range and do not return), as well as bestavailable information on the distribution of fish eggs andlarvae.

This research revealed that NTAs with a minimum size of3 to 6 km (linear distance along the coast) of suitable surf-zone reef habitat, spaced every 15 to 20 km apart couldprovide sufficient protection and connectivity for surf-zonefish populations. The implications of these results areconsidered with respect to the availability of suitable surf-zone reef habitat, existing patterns of human use and thecurrent zonation of the inshore area within theiSimangaliso Wetland Park. Based on the resultsdescribed, recommendations for improvement have beenmade including the possible implementation of two newNTAs, one just south of Lala Nek and the other betweenGobey's Point and Nine-Mile. In addition, the relevantauthorities were asked to consider implementing catch-and-release areas as buffer zones on either side (northand south) of existing NTAs. It is believed thatimplementation of these recommendations will greatlyimprove the conservation of surf-zone fish communities inthe park, which will undoubtedly have a positive impact onthe areas where fishing is allowed.

iSimangalisoMPA

93711 211

(75)(1 403)

De HoopMPA

1 61453 863

(147)(3 697)

Table MountainMPA

1637 113

(7)(505)

Bird IslandMPA0

150(0)(8)

PondolandMPA

2764 081

(93)(1 064)

GoukammaMPA86

570(2)(22)

Dwesa-CwebeMPA

2831 738

(13)(55)

TsitsikammaMPA0

12 217(0)

(573)

Port of NgquraClosed Area

1 0184 718

(58)(417)

CapeTown

PortElizabeth

Durban

Tagging in Marine Protected AreasThe top number is the number of fish tagged in 2015 and the bottomnumber is the number of fish tagged overall.The number of fish recaptured is given inbrackets.

Tagging provides recommendationsfor marine protected area size andspacing

By Bruce Mann and Stuart DunlopOceanographic Research Institute

www.oritag.org.za 11

In June 2004, the Pondoland Marine ProtectedArea (MPA) wasestablished in the Eastern Cape along the former Transkeicoastline. The MPAincludes 80 km of shoreline and extends outto sea to a depth of 1 000 m beyond the continental shelf edge.This equates to 1 380 km of mostly scattered reef and sandhabitat. The offshore area of the MPA is zoned. In the centralregion, there is a large ~650 km no-take zone, which is closedto all forms of vessel based exploitation. Controlled use zonesare situated to the north-east and to the south-west of the no-take zone. The objectives of this area closure were to conservemarine biodiversity and rebuild important reef fish stocks, whichhave been depleted by overfishing. In 2006, the ORI initiated amonitoring programme to evaluate the effectiveness of theMPA. One component of the monitoring programme was aimedat investigating fish movement within and around the MPA. Thiswas achieved by tagging important linefish species incollaboration with the ORI-Cooperative Fish Tagging Project.

From April 2006 to February 2016, 4 159 fishes were tagged, ofwhich 770 (19%) individual fish have been recaptured. Ifmultiple recaptures (a single fish recaptured more than once)are included, the overall recapture rate is 27%. Recapture ratesof target species (including multiple recaptures) wereexceptionally high (see below), which indicates a high degree ofresidency. For example, 51% of the yellowbelly rockcod taggedon the project have been recaptured. The movement datacollected from these recaptures indicated that 33% to 85% ofthe recaptures of the top eight species tagged were recordedwithin only 100 m of where they were originally tagged (seebelow).

Besides resident behaviour, which is typical of these reef-associated species, it was found that five of the eight speciesalso undertook longer-distance movements of more than onekilometre (6% of all recaptures). These movements rangedfrom 1 to 1 211 km, often taking the fish well beyond the bordersof the no-take zone into adjacent fished areas (to view some ofthese recaptures please go to page 9 for our top excitingrecaptures in 2015). Surprisingly, all these long-distancemovements were in a north-easterly direction. Of fish tagged inthe MPA no-take zone, four slinger were recaptured betweenWarner Beach (163 km) and Guinjata in Mozambique (1 100km). Sixteen Scotsman were recaptured between theMpahlane River near Port Edward (21 km) and Ponta da Barrain Mozambique (1 211 km). One black musselcracker moved334 km to Port Durnford near Mtunzini. Eight yellowbellyrockcod were recaptured between Umgababa near WarnerBeach (149 km) and Richards Bay (335 km). Three catfacerockcod were recaptured between Port Shepstone (76 km) andMapelane near St Lucia (411 km).

Considering that all of the above species are generallyconsidered to be highly resident, these recaptures areremarkable and have greatly added to our knowledge on themovement behaviour of these fishes.All species that undertooklong-range movement are important to the linefishery, andsome are considered to be overexploited. These movements offish from the MPA no-take zone northward become available tothe fishery and indicate some measure of potential of thePondoland MPA to enhance adjacent fisheries. The long-rangerecaptures were all reported by members of the public includingrecreational anglers and commercial fishermen. Theknowledge gained on long-range movements was thus entirelydependent on collaboration from the angling public andreinforces the value of the cooperative nature of the ORI-CFTP.

2

2

A decade of fish movement research in the PondolandMarine Protected Area

By Jade Maggs and Bruce Mann

Oceanographic Research Institute

Species Overall

recapture

rate (%)

Percentage of

recaptures recorded

within 100m from the

original tag locality

Yellowbelly rockcod 51 70

Natal seacatfish 45 50

Catface rockcod 44 78

Scotsman 38 36

Back musselcracker 29 42

Halfmoon rockcod 23 85

Slinger 9 40

Blue emperor 9 33

12 www.oritag.org.za

My fishing obsession started when I was six years old when mydad took me out deep sea fishing for the first time. It was the endof normality for me and the beginning of my interest in all thingsfishing. In 2011 I started fishing off a fishing ski, and this routineamplified my intimacy with the ocean and the different creaturestherein. In 2013 after moving from George to Port Elizabeth, Iwas introduced to tagging by a fellow well known Port Elizabeth'Skisher' as we ski fisherman are known and was intrigued bythe information on recaps and the behaviour and migrationpatterns of different fish species.

I mainly fish the Port Elizabeth area and therefore have donemost of my tagging in this area. I have several memorabletagging moments, which include the capture, tag and release ofa red steenbras of 72 cm on the 5 of May 2015 (a reasonablesize for the Noordhoek area) and the 25 fish I tagged in one dayoff my ski near Kings Beach on the 25th December 2015, what agreat Christmas present! Tagging has made me realize howexploitable and valuable our marine resources really are.

To conclude I would like to thank ORI and all the individualsmaking this project possible and a special thanks to Stuart forthe support and diligent feedback.

th

th

2015 TOP TAGGER: WERNER COETZEE

We would like to express our sincere gratitude for the financial support received from the South African Association for MarineBiological Research (SAAMBR) and the KZN Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs(EDTEA), without which we would have been unable to continue this important project. Most of all, we would like to thank theangling public and all of our active tagging members for their on-going contributions towards linefish research and conservation.We would like to acknowledge Dawid van der Merwe for his monetary donation in 2015.

David Hall (Hallprint© Australia) is thanked for his excellent service and on-going supply of high quality tags and applicators.Roelf Venter is thanked for his assistance in fitting handles to the tag applicators. Lastly, we thank all of the other sponsors whohave contributed in some way over the past 31 years, we salute you all!.

Special thanks

Focus species: Spotted ragged-tooth shark ( )Carcharius taurus

DistributionWide-ranging in warm-temparateand sub-tropical coastal waters

(MOZ, KZN, EC, SC, WC)

FeedingOpportunistic, mainly fish,

squid and other smallersharks/rays

MovementHighly mobile with

predictable seasonalmigration into KZN and someresidency of juveniles in EC

Total number tagged5408

Number recaptured675

Longest distance moved2966 (from Struisbaai to

Save River, Moz)

Longest time free8256 days/22.6

years (1988 to 2011)

ReproductionGive birth to two pups

after 9-15 months

Breeding seasonMating in Oct-Nov,

Give birth in Sep-Nov

GrowthSlow growing,

Males reach maturity after 6-7 years,Females after 9-10 years

Max age32-38 years

Max weight253.8 kg

Angler: Ferdie Botha