1. Are SA’s fisheries at the End of the Line?
Colin Attwood, Zoology Dept. and Marine Research Institute, UCT

2. End of the Line Mechanisms of over-fishing, and their consequences
Massive declines in fish abundance
Excessive investment in gear
The effects of subsidies
Discarding
Ignoring scientific advice
Ecosystem alteration and degradation
Exploitation of Africa by 1st world nations

3. Linefish Survey data: Arniston and Struisbaai
Carpenter
Red stumpnose
1931 to 1933
Roman
1987 to 1993
Red steenbras
Seventy-four
Dageraad
Santer
Other

4. “74”
Dageraad
Red steenbras
These species dominated our temperate reefs. They briefly supported a fishery. Now they are very rare!

5. Not all is bad news

6. Australia’s south-east trawl fishery (R. J. Gowers 2008. Environ
Australia’s south-east trawl fishery (R.J. Gowers Environ. History 14: 265–287 )

7. Catch of north-sea cod (tonnes) ICES Advice
Catch of north-sea cod (tonnes) ICES Advice. Cod in Subarea IV (North Sea), Division VIId (Eastern Channel), and IIIa West (Skagerrak)

8. Fisheries management 1.01 Sustainable harvest
Maximum sustainable yield
Sustainable harvest
Extinction(?)
Zero catch
Effort (# boats, or sea-days)

9. Let’s add a few other species?
Sustainable harvest
Effort (# boats, or sea-days)

10. A MDS plot of the similarity of each fish species’
contribution to different fisheries
N=507

11. A MDS plot of the similarity of each fish species’
contribution to different fisheries
Trawl
Pelagic longline
Handline
Purse-seine
Prawn trawl
Shore angling
Beach-seine
Estuarine angling

12. A MDS plot of the similarity of each fish species’
contribution to different fisheries
Trawl
Pelagic longline
Handline
Purse-seine
Prawn trawl
Shore angling
Beach-seine
Estuarine angling

13. It looks as if we are doing OK for 11 fish species.
Lets hope the other 496 are OK too.

14. Final thoughts
We need to consider cheap and robust mechanisms to protect our incredible diversity of fishes. I consider MPAs (or closed areas) to be in this category.
The small-scale fisheries policy is pushing co-management. It is backed by some nice theory (reducing the commons, encouraging buy-in), but can we make it work?