Sards are still around

It appears as though the popular silver fish are here to stay, as more sardines were netted in the past couple of days on the South Coast.

The Sardine Run, which is an annual winter phenomenon got underway in June and there are only a few weeks left to check out this globally renowned event.

“This year has been another great one for the Sardine Run on the KZN South Coast with tourists afforded a close-up of the migrating shoals and hungry marine life in hot pursuit!” said Phelisa Mangcu, CEO of South Coast Tourism & Investment Enterprise (SCTIE).

“There are so many ways to experience the Sardine Run, whether it’s from the sandy shoreline of our Blue Flag beaches, from whale watching decks, from boats, microlights, or in the water, our tourism establishments are on hand to make this a memorable excursion.”

The pilot shoal made its appearance on the KZN South Coast in June with Sardine Run activity attracting eager anglers, divers and spectators throughout the winter weeks.
Wayne Harrison, Acting Head of Operations at KZN Sharks Board, said seine netters had been busy the past few days.

“Netting took place at Kelso Station last Wednesday where 30 baskets were netted at R400 each,” said Wayne Harrison, acting head of operations at KZN Sharks Board.

“Netting also took place in Scottburgh with 30 baskets netted at Mamba Alley last Thursday morning, two more nets taken at Pumula, and another one at Hibberdene.”

To end of the month of July, there were reports of yet another netting in Umkomaas this week making it just over 50 nettings for the season.

One of the seine netters, Demetre Stamatis said the localised flooding earlier in the season had impacted the netting somewhat, but the same thing happened last year and there was suddenly a ‘flash of run’ thereafter. While it’s impossible to predict the sardine activity, he said “Today could be a different outcome!”.

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