Sardines surface on south coast

THE annual sardine run has struck again, with a shoal surfacing at Amanzimtoti Beach on both Saturday, 29 and Sunday, 30 June.

The arrival of the sardines comes as a great relief for many local fishermen who rely on their catch from the sardine run to sustain them during the fishing season. Back in 2015, The Witness reported that at the time scientists believe sardines were being over fished, causing the run to become smaller and less predictable every year.

We took to the streets of Durban to ask the public what they thought about the opinions of scientists and their perspective on what has become a much anticipated event on Durban’s calendar.

While interviewing people along Durban’s beach front, Reuben Naidoo and Dane Bransby agreed that there are less fish arriving with each cycle. Dane believes this drop in numbers is due to over fishing and that this could potentially have a negative impact on the wildlife along the coast that rely on the run as a vital food source.

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However, his opinion was not shared by Yunus Sheriff, who has followed and participated in the sardine run for years. He pointed out that the fishing of the annual sardine cycle was how many fisherman made a living, and has been the normal way of things for years. When asked to comment on whether the sardine population was in jeopardy, he said: “When sardines lay eggs, they don’t lay one or two. They lay hundreds.” It was for this reason he believes the sardine population is not at risk, and why the run and the fishing of it will continue for years to come. He was positive that we could expect to see sardines arriving along the coast of Kwa-Zulu Natal this year.

When asking members of Durban’s youth on their perspective of the sardine run, many did not seem to have one. Twin brothers, Wesden and Waiden Morgan, and their friend Kasmira Gopee, said they had not really come into contact with the sardine run in the past. However both Waiden and Kasmira agree that a “limit” should be placed on how many sardines should be fished.

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