Although huge hauls of sardines were netted at Scottburgh on Tuesday‚ 18 June, the little silvery fish failed to make an appearance in Amanzimtoti at the time of the Sun going to print on Wednesday, 20 June.
This despite the KZN Sharks Board (KZNSB) predicting the greatest shoal in the world would likely be spotted in Toti on Wednesday. Of course, everyone knows that when it comes to sardines, predictions are merely indicators as the silvery shoals have a mind of their own.
KZNSB’s Mike Anderson-Reade described Tuesday’s sardine action at Scottburgh as “intense”. “The pockets of sardines were a little further offshore than on Monday‚ however netters were able to access them and a number of good hauls were taken.
Pockets of fish can now be found from Karridene all the way south to Ifafa. However water clarity is not great in some of these areas‚ making it quite difficult to spot the shoals.” With the going rate per crate at R1,500 earlier this week, local fishermen will be hoping that an influx of shoals will not only bring this annual beach spectacle to life but also help drive the price down.
