The beach-seine and gillnet fisheries are South Africa's oldest commercial fisheries, having been established in the early 1700's and mid 1800's respectively. Besides a minimum mesh size and an area restriction that was originally designed to reduce conflict between beach-seine and gillnet fishers, there were no controls in the fishery until the early 1970's. Since then, both fisheries have been restricted to catching harders (Liza richardsonii) and St Joseph sharks (Callorhynchus capensis), with a limited by-catch allowance of linefish species. In False Bay, however, right- holders in the beach-seine fishery are entitled to target certain linefish species.
The gillnet fishery is restricted to Yzerfontein northwards whereas the beach-seine fishery is restricted to the west of Gordon's Bay. The estuarine gillnet fishery (namely Olifants Estuary) will be phased out over a 5- to 10-year period.
As part of the management strategy, the coast and Total Applied Effort ("TAE") is subdivided into "beach-seine and gillnet" areas, effort is limited by gear restrictions and fishing by means of nets is prohibited in Marine Protected Areas. Essentially, the beach-seine and gillnet fishery is set a TAE (number of nets that may be used in each area along the west and south east coasts) on an area basis by the Minister each year.
Prior to the 2001 medium-term right allocation process, the fishery landed approximately 6 000 tons of fish per annum, of which only 1 400 tons were reported on compulsory monthly catch return forms.
A survey of more than 50 percent of permit-holders revealed that less than 10 percent regarded themselves as beach-seine or gillnet fishers while only eight percent were bona fide, full-time netfishers who acquired more than 50 percent of their income from this fishery. Permit holders in most areas operated at a loss of between R1 900 and R5 500 per annum, the exceptions being the gillnet fishery in Saldanha-Langebaan, where 50 percent of operators were full time net fishers and the beach-seine fishery in False Bay, where 70 percent of operators were full time netfishers.
The main target species, the harder, is currently over-exploited. There is a direct negative correlation between the degree of effort and stock status. The export market for the secondary target species, St Joseph shark has collapsed, but there is potential for a local market. There is a substantial linefish by-catch comprising mostly over-exploited or collapsed species. Consequently, the management of the netfishery cannot be considered separately from the line fishery.
There exists a substantial illegal gillnet fishery directed at high value species throughout the west, south and east coasts. Illegal gillnetting on the west coast is mostly directed at galjoen (Dichistius capensis) and smooth-hound shark (Mustelus mustelus) in the sea and harders, springer / flathead mullet (Mugil cephalus) and elf (Pomatomus saltatrix) in estuaries. Illegal gillnetting on the south and east coasts is largely confined to estuaries and directed at, amongst others, dusky kob (Argyrosomus japonicus), spotted grunter (Pomadasys commersonnii) and a range of mullet species.
Read Net Fishery TAE 2008.pdf