Saltwater regulations
These regulations were correct at
the time this website was posted, but I urge you to contact the nearest Sea
Fisheries office to get updated information before you go fishing.
Saltwater
fishing regulations changed in April 2005.
Here are extracts
from the Government
Gazette No 27453 of 6 April 2005.
Government Notice
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND TOURISM
MARINE LIVING RESOURCES ACT, 1998 (ACT NO. 18 OF 1998)
AMENDMENTS TO REGULATIONS PUBLISHED IN TERMS OF THE MARINE
LIVING RESOURCES ACT, 1998: GN REGULATION 1111 OF 02 SEPTEMBER 1998
The Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism has amended
the Regulations published under the Marine Living Resources Act, 1998, by adding
those definitions in Schedule 1 to regulation 1 and has amended Chapter 4, Part
5 (Linefishing) and annexures 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 of the Regulations published
under the Marine Living Resources Act, 1998, by deleting Part 5 of Chapter 4 and
Annexures 4, 5, 6, 7,8 and 9 in their entirety and replacing them with the
regulations and annexures in the Schedule hereto.
SCHEDULE
GENERAL EXPLANATORY NOTE:
Words underlined indicate insertions in existing
regulations.
Definitions
"angling" means recreational fishing by manually operating a rod,
reel and line or one or more separate lines to which no more than ten hooks are
attached per line:
"bag limit" means the maximum number of fish. either in respect of
individual species or of total catch offish which may be caught on any one day.
or kept in the possession or control of any person:
"cartilaginous fish" means a fish of any species of shark, ray.
skate or chimaeras of the class Chondrichthyes:
"cast netting" means fishing by the use of a cast net
"catch return book" means the logbook provided by the Department
for the purposes of recording and submitting data offish caught:
"commercial fishing vessel" means a fishing vessel licensed by the
Department as a commercial fishing vessel:
"hake handline fishing" means linefishing for hake and other
species set out in Annexure 6:
"linefishing* means commercial fishing from a fishing vessel by manually
operating a rod, reel and line or one or more separate lines to which no more
than ten hooks are attached per line:
"marine aquarium fishing" means recreational fishing for the
purposes of obtaining fish for live display:
"spearfishing" means recreational fishing using a speargun:
"Superclass Pisces" means all vertebrate fish species (fish with a
backbone), which includes bony fish and cartilaginous fish;
"traditional linefish" means linefishing for the fish species set
out in Annexure 4:
"tuna pole fishing" means linefishing for tuna by manually
operating a rod, reel and line or one or more separate lines to which no more
than ten hooks are attached par line:
Part 5
Recreational Fishing
General
22. (1) Recreational fishing permits may be obtained from an office
authorised by the Minister, subject to the payment of the prescribed fee, to
engage in one or more types of recreational fishing.
(2) A recreational fishing permit holder shall not sell fish caught on the
authority of a recreational fishing permit
(3) The skipper of a fishing vessel used for recreational fishing must be in
possession of a recreational fishing permit endorsed for recreational fishing
from a vessel.
(4) Except in the case of marine aquarium fishing, the holder of a
recreational fishing permit shall not use any artificial respiratory equipment
other than a snorkel.
(5) The holder of a recreational fishing permit shall not engage in fishing
for, be in possession of, or sell any fish listed in the Prohibited Species List
of Annexure 7.
(6) The holder of a recreational fishing permit may engage in fishing for any
fish of the superclass Pisces listed in the Permitted Species List of Annexure 7
subject to the restrictions set out in sub-regulations 7, 8 and 9 below.
(7) The holder of a recreational fishing permit shall not engage in fishing
for, or be in possession of:
a. any fish smaller than, or of a mass less than, the size-limits listed in
respect of each species in the Permitted Species List of Annexure 7;
b. any fish during the closed-season listed in respect of each species in the
Permitted Species List of Annexure 7;
c. more fish than the bag limit listed in respect of each species in the
Permitted Species List of Annexure 7 on any one day;
d. more than 1 specimen per species of cartilaginous fish on any one day;
e. more than 5 specimens per species of rockcod (family Serranidae) not listed
in the Permitted Species List of Annexure 7 on any one day; and
f. more than ten fish irrespective of the species caught, provided that this
limit does not apply to those species listed with no bag limit, and to those
species with a bag limit exceeding ten.
(8) The size of fish must be measured in a straight line from the tip of the
snout to the extreme end of the tail.
(9) All fish, except cartilaginous fish, shall be landed in the whole state
and have head and tail intact, except that they may be gutted.
Recreational angling
(10) The holder of a recreational fishing permit, endorsed for angling shall
only engage in angling for fish of the superclass Pisces.
(11) The holder of a recreational fishing permit endorsed for angling shall
only use a gaff or net for the purpose of landing a fish that has been hooked on
line.
(12) The holder of a recreational fishing permit shall not use a club, stick,
spear or speargun for fishing.
Recreational spearfishing
(13) The holder of a recreational fishing permit, endorsed for spearfishing,
shall only engage in spearfishing for fish of the superclass Pisces.
(14) The holder of a recreational fishing permit endorsed for spearfishing
shall not engage in fishing in an estuary.
Recreational cast-netting
(15) The holder of a recreational fishing permit endorsed for cast-netting
shall not engage in fishing for, or be in possession of, any fish not listed in
the Permitted Species List of Annexure 8.
(16) The holder of a recreational fishing permit, endorsed for cast-netting,
shall only utilise a circular net weighted at the circumference for the purpose
of casting and not exceeding six meters in diameter.
(17) The holder of a recreational fishing permit endorsed for cast-netting
shall not engage in fishing between sunset and sunrise.
ANNEXURE7
RECREATIONAL FISHING
|
PROHIBITED SPECIES LIST |
|
COMMON NAME |
SCIENTIFIC NAME |
|
Basking shark
Brindle bass
Coelacanth
Great white shark
Natal wrasse
Pipefish & seahorses
Potato bass
Sawfishes
Seventy-four
Whale shark |
Cetorhinus maximus
Epinephelus lanceolatus
Latimeria chalumnae
Carcharodon carcharias
Anchichoerops natalensis
Family Syngnathidae
Epinephelus tukula
Family Pristidae
Polysteganus undulosus
Rhinocodon typus |
|
PERMITTED SPECIES LIST |
|
COMMON NAME |
SCIENTIFIC NAME |
MINIMUM SIZE/ MASS |
BAG LIMITS /CLOSED SEASON |
|
Anchovies |
Family Engraulidae |
None |
None |
|
Baardman (bellman, tasselfish) |
Umbrina spp. |
40cm |
5 |
|
Banded galjoen |
Dichistius multifasciatus |
None |
5 |
|
Billfishes (marlin, sailfish) |
Family Istiophoridae |
None |
5 |
|
Blacktail (dassie) |
Diplodus sargus capensis |
20cm |
5 |
|
Blue hottentot |
Pachymetopon aeneum |
None |
5 |
|
Bronze bream (bluefish) |
Pachymetopon grande |
30cm |
2 |
|
Cape knifejaw |
Oplegnathus conwayi |
None |
5 |
|
Cape stumpnose |
Rhabdosargus holubi |
20cm |
5 |
|
Carpenter (silverfish) |
Argyrozona argyrozona |
35cm |
4 |
|
Catface rockcod |
Epinephelus andersoni |
50cm |
5 |
|
Chub mackerel |
Scomber japonicus |
None |
None |
|
Cutlassfish (Walla Walla) |
Trichiurus lepturus |
None |
None |
|
Dageraad |
Chrysoblephus cristiceps |
40cm |
1 |
|
Dane |
Porcostoma dentate |
None |
5 |
|
Elf (shad) |
Pomatomus saltatrix |
30cm |
4
Closed season from 1 October to 30 November |
|
Englishman |
Chrysoblephus anglicus |
40cm |
1 |
|
Fransmadam (Karel grootoog) |
Boopsoidea inornata |
None |
10 |
|
Galjoen |
Dichistius capensis |
35cm |
2
Closed season from 15 October to last day of February |
|
Garfishes |
Family Belonidae |
None |
None |
|
Garrick (leervis) |
Lichia amia |
70cm |
2 |
|
Geelbek (Cape salmon) |
Atractoscion aequidens |
60cm |
2 |
|
Glassies |
Family Ambassidae |
None |
None |
|
Hake (stockfish) |
Merluccius spp. |
None |
5 |
|
Halfbeaks |
Family Hemiramphidae |
None |
None |
|
Horse mackerel / maasbanker |
Trachurus trachurus capensis |
None |
None |
|
Hottentot |
Pachymetopon blochii |
22cm |
10 |
|
John Brown |
Gymnocrotaphus curvidens |
None |
5 |
|
Kingfishes |
Caranx spp. and Carangoides spp. |
None |
5 |
|
Kingklip |
Genypterus capensis |
None |
1 |
|
King mackerel |
Scomberomorus commerson |
None |
10 |
|
Kob caught from a boat at sea [Cape Agulhas to
Umtamvuna River] |
Argyrosomus spp. |
50cm |
5
but may only land or be in possession of one kob > 110 cm per day |
|
Kob caught from a boat at sea [The Province of
KwaZulu-Natal] |
Argyrosomus spp. |
40cm |
|
Kob caught in estuaries & from the shore [East of
Cape Agulhas only] |
Argyrosomus spp. |
60cm |
1 |
|
Kob [West of Cape Agulhas only] |
Argyrosomus spp. |
50cm |
5 |
|
Large-spot pompano (wave garrick) |
Trachinotus botia |
None |
5 |
|
Leopard cat shark |
Poroderma pantherinum |
None |
1 |
|
Mullets / harders |
Family Mugilidae |
None |
50 |
|
Natal knifejaw (cuckoo bass) |
Oplegnathus robinsoni |
None |
5 |
|
Natal stumpnose (yellowfin bream) |
Rhabdosargus sarba |
25cm |
5 |
|
Pinky (piggy) |
Pomadasys olivaceum |
7.5cm |
10 |
|
Poenskop (black steenbras or musselcracker) |
Cymatoceps nasutus |
50cm |
1 |
|
Queen mackerel |
Scomberomorus plurilineatus |
None |
10 |
|
Ragged tooth Shark |
Carcharias Taurus |
None |
1 |
|
Red steenbras (copper steenbras) |
Petrus rupestris |
60cm |
1
Closed season from 1 October to 30 November |
|
Red stumpnose (Miss Lucy) |
Chrysoblephus gibbiceps |
30cm |
1 |
|
River bream (perch) |
Acanthopagrus berda |
25 cm |
5 |
|
River snapper (rock salmon) |
Lutjanus argentimaculatus |
40cm |
5 |
|
Roman |
Chrysoblephus laticeps |
30cm |
2 |
|
Santer (soldier) |
Cheimerius nufar |
30cm |
5 |
|
Sardines (pilchard and red-eye) |
Family Clupeidae |
None |
None |
|
Sauries |
Family Scomberesocidae |
None |
None |
|
Scads |
Decapterus spp. |
None |
None |
|
Scotsman |
Polysteganus praeorbitalis |
40cm |
1 |
|
Slinger |
Chrysoblephus puniceus |
25cm |
5 |
|
Snoek (Cape snoek) |
Thyrsites atun |
60cm |
10 |
|
Southern pompano |
Trachinotus africanus |
None |
5 |
|
Spotted grunter (tiger) |
Pomadasys commersonnii |
40cm |
5 |
|
Spotted gulley shark |
Triakis megalopterus |
None |
1 |
|
Springer (ten pounder) |
Elops machnata |
None |
5 |
|
Steentjie |
Spondyliosoma emarginatum |
None |
10 |
|
Stonebream |
Neoscorpis lithophilus |
None |
5 |
|
Strepie (karanteen) |
Sarpa salpa |
15cm |
10 |
|
Striped cat shark |
Poroderma africanum |
None |
1 |
|
Swordfish (broadbill) |
Xiphias gladius |
25kg |
5 |
|
Squid (Chokka) |
Loligo vulgarus reynaudii |
None |
20 |
|
Tunas (tunny) |
Thunnus spp. |
None |
10 |
|
Albacore / longfin tuna |
Thunnus alalunga |
None |
10 |
|
Bigeye tuna |
Thunnus obesus |
3.2kg |
10 |
|
Bluefin tuna |
Thunnus thynnus |
6.4kg |
10 |
|
Yellowfin tuna |
Thunnus albacares |
3.2kg |
10 |
|
West coast steenbras |
Lithognathus aureti |
60cm |
1 |
|
White edged (Captain Fine) rockcod |
Epinephelus albomarginatus |
40cm |
5 |
|
White musselcracker (brusher, cracker) |
Sparodon durbanensis |
60cm |
2 |
|
White steenbras (pignose grunter) |
Lithognathus lithognathus |
60cm |
1 |
|
White stumpnose |
Rhabdosargus globicebs |
25 on |
10 |
|
Wolfherring |
Chirocentrus dorab |
None |
None |
|
Yellowbelly rockcod |
Epinephelus marginatus |
60cm |
1 |
|
Yellowtail |
Seriola lalandi |
None |
10 |
|
Zebra (wildeperd) |
Diplodus cervinus hottentotus |
30cm |
5 |
ANNEXURE 8
CAST-NET
|
PERMITTED SPECIES LIST |
|
COMMON NAME |
SCIENTIFIC NAME |
|
Anchovies |
Family Engraulidae |
|
Chub mackerel |
Scomber japonicus |
|
Glassies |
Family Ambassidae |
|
Halfbeaks |
Family Hemiramphidae |
|
Horse mackerel / maasbanker |
Trachurus trachurus capensis |
|
Mullets / harders |
Family Mugilidae |
|
Pinky (piggy) |
Pomadasys olivaceum |
|
Sardines (pilchard & red-eye) |
Family Clupeidae |
|
Sauries |
Family Scomberesocidae |
|
Scads |
Decapterus spp. |
|
Strepie (karanteen) |
Sarpa salpa |
| 