Where do Checkers get their fish from?

[nicos]

(first off, let me make it clear that the below post is peronal opinion and own limited epxerience)

Last Tuesday I popped into checkers at Gateway, Umhlanga to pick up some stuff. As usual I sauntered past the fresh fish counter to see what was up for sale.

First off, let me state very clearly that I do not buy fish at all (other than bait) as I dont' know how they are caught, where, when etc. I applaud Pick 'n Pay's green fish thing, but even so stay away.

Anyway, on the counter was the biggest Kaakaap I've even seen (being sold as "Salmon", Natal speak for kabeljou),  and the biggest blood snapper (humphead snapper)  I've ever seen (being sold as "Red Roman").

Now neither of these fish are common in South African waters, *unless* you are fishing in the St. Lucia protected area and further north (and it is protected all the way to Kosi). I know we used to get blood snappers around Durban, but I've only seen small ones in recent times, and personally I've never caught a Kaakaap lower than Sodwana (although I know you get them in Vidal).

So where do these fish come from? Mozambique? Helping to rape another countries oceans maybe? Or is there actually commecrcial fishing allowed in these SA areas that I don't know about? Or maybe I am just too useless to get them in the south myself?

./n

 

[Tr0ut]

You get Kaakap and blood snapper in your area.

 

[nicos]

Tr0ut wrote:

You get Kaakap and blood snapper in your area.

Bloodsnapper yes, but not that common, especially not huge ones. Kaakaap, maybe, but I have spoken to spearos and ex-commercials and they've never caught them below Vidal. Maybe you get them in Richardsbay which is really the furthest north you can fish commercially.

According to the WWWF's SASSI list and Fishbase jobfish and snappers are vulnerable species.

 

 

[Yeldman]

We were surprised to catch Kakaap at Shelly Beach and was then told it is not common, but not that unusual either. Strangely we very, very seldom get them here in Richards Bay, but they are quite common from Vidal and north from there

 

[CraigT]

We catch alot of green jobfish of shelly especially in the warmer months and when the current slacks off.

 

[skrops]

Saw a monster blood snapper at Fruit & Veg a while ago, was told that they come from Moz.

On our trip to Moz three weeks ago we saw fishing vessels very close to shore, may as close as 4km, not sure PieterH could maybe comment on it.

 

[nicos]

At Zavora we met a bloke that told us they used to fish the cr@p out of Moz during the war with commercial boats based out of Richardsbay.

Now he fishes Moz in his ski-boat, sells most of the fish there (uses locals), and the rest he brings back as fillets in "special" hatches in his boats. Just a matter of time before that resource is gone too.

(I'm a hypocryte, on a good day I also probably catch more than I can eat in a day)

 

[Hooch]

skrops wrote:

Saw a monster blood snapper at Fruit & Veg a while ago, was told that they come from Moz.

On our trip to Moz three weeks ago we saw fishing vessels very close to shore, may as close as 4km, not sure PieterH could maybe comment on it.

Skrops, more like 2km from the beach. Remember the day i called everybody and said the one vecel is in trouble. That one were very close to shore.

Yip, people is busy raping the ocean in Moz. We saw some hairy things when we were down their three weeks ago.

 

[Alopias]

What one sees in Mozambique being perpetrated by the locals is almost as bad as what the visitors from South Africa do.

Not just taking out lots of fish or driving on beaches, but also paying bribes and encouraging corruption. Then people stand back self-righteously, and say: What a corrupt continent we live on!

It seems that the control Ezemvelo Wildlife had is slipping away. No matter that they were called "shad sheriffs" and"Natal Varke Raad" by those who resent conservation ethics, they do really good work.

With control slipping towards national, and the marine resource guys not even able to stop perlemoen poaching where they are based (in the Western Cape), what hope do they have of stopping anyone coming in to rape the forgotten corners of KZN?