Hapuku - possible first record of this fish in SA

[nicos]

Interestingly, it seems that all of these Polyprion species are very vulnerable, slow population doubling time and mostly on the red list.

I am quite worried that with new techniques we are going to start impacting previously underfished species. Think about amberjacks - suddenly everyone is targeting them in SA where previously they where an incidental catch.

 

[jb2]

There were some attempts to target wreckfish in South Africa.

It is interesting that all longline permit conditions in South Africa prohibit the capture of wreckfish.

 

[fedu]

nicos wrote:

Interestingly, it seems that all of these Polyprion species are very vulnerable, slow population doubling time and mostly on the red list.

I am quite worried that with new techniques we are going to start impacting previously underfished species. Think about amberjacks - suddenly everyone is targeting them in SA where previously they where an incidental catch.

Yep, and at those 100m to 200m depths I don't think release works...

 

[tkei]

There wasa 51 kg wreckfish caught off el today. i am in possesion of the pics and they got a few good ones, but it specifically says not to post on the net, so i wont. There is a reef off el where a guy catches them regularly, but not may others go there.

 

[Noweeds]

Ads i remember Mr Keet getting caned off Tshani by a wreckfish.......do you remember that say! Shoo many beers ago!

 

[ChrisW]

The picture "looks" like a mongrel Hapuka/Bass!
Hapuka have a longer under-shot jaw and is quite a long fish. Its skin colouring is brown back with gray/silver belly. The Bass is much deeper and squat shaped with a blotchey mottled skin colouring.
Due to fishing pressure, these slow growing fish are found in deep reefs or far off locations. they are suckers for jigs and cut bait. You not find better eating fish than Bass.


LHS is Hapuka, RHS is a Bass (Wreakfish)
 

 

[Bycatch]

@tkei - for my and others curiosity, why are pics from the wreckfish cuaght off EL not allowed to be posted on the net? Some (incl. the 51kg specimen) were posted on other fishing sites.

 

[nicos]

Possibly cause they are illegal to catch

 

[tkei]

Bycatch.
I just saw this post now. The person that emailed the pics had specifically asked that they not be posted ont he net. if someone specifically asks that, i will not post it.

Nicos, Correct, there was a mis-understanding wrt Wreckfish laws. They used to be prohibited species, then new laws were passed and wreckfish was omitted from the list. As a result, people assumed it was now legal. off EL in particulare, a few guys were catching them regularly. Some big ones up to the 51kg mentioned and plenty in 20-30kg class.

In the last mobnth it was confirmed that it is still a prohibited species. East London SBC has issued a notice to all members that it is prohibbited and that anyone caught catching them, purposfully or keeping them will be prosecuted and removed fromt he club. Cl;ub records wuill however stay as at the time of capture, they were "legal".

I must admit, I used to think they were illegal and then also thought were 'unbanned' and have kept one or 2. wont happen again.

 

[nicos]

tkei wrote:

Nicos, Correct, there was a mis-understanding wrt Wreckfish laws. They used to be prohibited species, then new laws were passed and wreckfish was omitted from the list. As a result, people assumed it was now legal. off EL in particulare, a few guys were catching them regularly. Some big ones up to the 51kg mentioned and plenty in 20-30kg class.

Ja, it's confusing. The new 2005 regs, where they where removed from the list made people think they where now legal, but in fact, there are OTHER regs from (I think) the 1998 set that has not been repealed and still list them as prohibited deep water species.

I'd love to target hapuku, but will probably catch wreckfish when I do... which will most likely not survive. What to do?

 

[Corry]

We have an interesting case where a fish being either a Wreckfish or Hapuku was shot. We did not know what it was although one of the guys and me suspected it was a Wreckfish. Unfortuantely we only had one camera there and those photos are crap. The one cell phone photo we have is also pretty crappy resolution wise.

Wreckfish are still banned. Regualtion 54 of the MLRA states prohibited deepwater species. Annexure 12 lists those fish. Interestingly Hapuku (Polyprion oxygenios) isn't on the list but with cathces it is probably a matter of time before it is added.

Exerpt from the Regulations (attached) below:

Pg 34: Regulation 54

 Prohibited deepwater species

 54. No person shall, except on the authority of a permit, engage in fishing, collecting, landing or selling of or be in possession of the species set out in Annexure 12.

 Pg 60/61: Annexure 12

 ANNEXURE 12 (Regulation 54)

 PROHIBITED DEEPWATER SPECIES

Alfonsino [family Berycidae including Beryx splendens (alfonsino) and B. decadactylus(long-finned beryx)]

Cardinal fishes (deep-water cardinals) (subfamily Epigoninae)

Orange Roughy [Hoplostethus spp. including H. atlanticus and H. mediterraneus (silver roughy)]



Pg 61:

 Oreo Dories (family Oreosomatidae including Pseudocyttus maculatus, Allocyttus niger, A. verrucosus, A. guineensis, Neocyttus rhomboidalis and Oreosoma atlanticum)

Patagonian Toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides and Dissostichus mawsonii)

Wreckfish (Polyprion americanus)

 

[Jimi the Fish]

LOOKS VERY MUCH LIKE A HAPUKA

 

[STB]

Hi guys please see the photos o Sealine .under fish I'd.polyprion americanus. And under Bluenoses off Durban.a sample was sent for genetic fingerprint.Please can you maybe help with the identification as the generic report say its polyprion most likely americanus because they say you Dont find oxygeneios in our waters but the high evalue say it can likely be a oxygeneios .

 

[STB]

Sample generic report.

 

[STB]

Same fish when dead

 

[STB]

Try this on the jigg the small ones is 12 to 21 kg.Big Bluenoses is 60 to 70 kg by estimation.I haven't been able to land the big ones because of tackle failure.And that's in Durban of all places.see artical Bluenoses off durban

 

[STB]

Try this on the jigg the small ones is 12 to 21 kg.Big Bluenoses is 60 to 70 kg by estimation.I haven't been able to land the big ones because of tackle failure.And that's in Durban of all places.see artical Bluenoses off durban

 

[STB]

Photo

 

[STB]

This is a nice size

 

[Bycatch]

What is it lately with anglers trying to find loopholes around catching Wreckfish. Not so long ago guys in the Transkei (Mgazana area) were targeting them claiming they have been catching Moustache Rockod all the years and it was a simple ID mistake! Come on guys, really.......!!

Herewith the difference so the same mistakes are not made.
STB - please post a larger file version of the DNA sampling so that it's legible? Thanks.