The role of the Tsitsikamma National Park in the management of four shore-angling fish along the south-eastern Cape coast of South Africa

Published source details Cowley P.D., Brouwer S.L. & Tilney R.L. (2002) The role of the Tsitsikamma National Park in the management of four shore-angling fish along the south-eastern Cape coast of South Africa. South African Journal of Marine Science, 24, 27-35.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Cease or prohibit all types of fishing in a marine protected area Action Link

Cease or prohibit all types of fishing in a marine protected area

A site comparison study in 1994–1997 of a surf-zone area in the Indian Ocean off the coast of South Africa (Cowley et al. 2002) found that four of four important shore-angling fish species were larger and more abundant in a marine park where all fishing was prohibited for over 16 years, compared to openly fished areas. Average fork lengths were greater inside the no-fishing marine park than fished areas for blacktail bream Diplodus sargus capensis (unfished: 284 mm, fished: 226 mm) zebra bream Diplodus cervinus hottentotus (unfished: 303 mm, fished: 248 mm) and galjoen Dichistius capensis (unfished: 365 mm, fished: 327 mm), and were similar for bronze bream Pachymetopon grande (unfished: 358 mm, fished: 354 mm). In addition, catch rates for all species were higher in the marine park (unfished: 4–13, fished: <1–3 kg/100 angler hrs; data were not statistically tested). Fish data were collected from monthly research shore-angling between February 1995 and January 1997 in the Tsitsikamma National Park (80 km of coastline where all fishing is prohibited; shore-angling banned since 1978) and in fished areas extending either side of the park from roving surveys of recreational shore- angler catches between April 1994 and February 1996.

(Summarised by: Chris Barrett)