Sardine Run KZN

[Lisbeth]

Why do you ask so much? Because I can!

[Richprins]

Sardines appear to be a no-show, so KZN south coast beaches reopen for bathing
15 June 2021 - 13:40
Suthentira Govender Senior reporter
Beaches along the KZN south coast reopened on Tuesday after lack of activity with annual sardine run


The KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board lifted the ban on bathing at 11 beaches along the south coast on Tuesday which was implemented to accommodate the annual sardine run.

Shark nets had to be removed to allow the sardines and accompanying marine species like sharks and dolphins to swim by.

However, the sharks board said in a statement that swimming was now permitted due to the lack of sardine-related activity, which it has been monitoring through land and aerial surveys.


The TO Strand, San Lameer, Ramsgate, St Michaels on Sea, Amanzimtoti, Lucien, Ski Boat Bay, Southport, Umzumbe, Glenmore and Southbroom beaches have been reopened.

“The only confirmed netting that we are aware of was a very small net of five crates at Scottburgh beach this morning.

“This is the only confirmed netting since last Thursday. The sharks board will continue to closely monitor sardine activity and remove or replace shark safety gear as required.”

TimesLIVE

https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/sout ... r-bathing/

[Lisbeth]

Complicated!

[Lisbeth]

The greatest shoal on earth: It’s all eyes on the KZN coast for the anticipated arrival of the annual sardine run

By Lungi Langa• 24 June 2021


(Photo: flickr / Zoey Francis)

Click on the title to read the whole article.

phpBB [video]

[Lisbeth]

The Greatest Shoal on Earth: Scientists discover why sardines run

By Ethan van Diemen• 14 September 2021


Locals gather during the annual Sardine Run on Durban's Addington Beach on 26 June 2021. (Photo: Gallo Images/Darren Stewart)

It’s sometimes called the ‘Greatest Shoal on Earth’, and for good reason with hundreds of millions of small fish moving around in giant bands causing a feeding frenzy wherever they go. A new study in the journal 'Science Advances' by South African and Australian scientists explains why the sardines run.

Every year in June or July along the KwaZulu-Natal coast an incredible spectacle plays out. Hundreds of millions of Sardines move in a band — often more than 7km long, 1.5km wide and 30 metres deep — up the coast in what is commonly known as the annual “Sardine Run”. Now, a recent study using genomics explains exactly why Sardines ‘run’ at all.

The study in the journal Science Advances was conducted by South African and Australian scientists who tested the hypothesis that the Sardine Run represents the spawning migration of a distinct east coast stock adapted to warm subtropical conditions.

The results of the study showed that there exist two distinct sardine populations in South Africa; one in the cool-temperate west coast (Atlantic Ocean) and the other in warmer east coast waters (Indian Ocean). Each regional population appears adapted to the temperature range that it experiences in its native region.



“Surprisingly, we also discovered that sardines participating in the migration run are primarily of Atlantic origin and prefer colder water,” said Professor Luciano Beheregaray at the Flinders University Molecular Ecology Lab, one of the study authors.

Professor Peter Teske from the University of Johannesburg (UJ) and an author in the study said “[t]he cold water of the brief upwelling periods attracts the west coast sardines, which are not adapted to the warmer Indian Ocean habitat.

“This is a rare finding in nature, since there are no obvious fitness benefits for the migration, so why do they do it? We think the sardine migration might be a relic of spawning behaviour dating back to the glacial period. What is now subtropical Indian Ocean habitat was then an important sardine nursery area with cold waters”, Professor Teske said.



“Given the colder water origins of sardines participating in the run, projected warming could lead to the end of the sardine run”, says Professor Beheregaray.

Daily Maverick previously reported that there has been a “significant and progressive delay” in the arrival of these fish in recent years according to a recent study published in the South African Journal of Science.

Professor Jennifer Fitchett from the School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies at Wits University said “this coincides with a poleward shift in the location of sea surface temperatures below 21C – as the sea surface temperatures warm up, it is too warm for the sardines to migrate and they wait for cooler temperatures which occur later into the middle of the winter season.”

The most recent study, however, suggests that while the numbers of fish are significant, the run itself involves only a small portion of the South African Sardine population. Accordingly, while its end might mean the loss of one of nature’s most dazzling mass migrations, the effects on the species’ population as a whole are likely to be negligible. OBP/DM

[Richprins]

Interesting!

[Richprins]

Flood impact won’t affect annual sardine run

04 May 2022 - 09:03
Nivashni Nair Senior reporter


Every winter‚ most often in June or July‚ millions of sardines leave the cold waters off Cape Point and make their way up the coast to KwaZulu-Natal. File photo.


Image: Offshore Africa

The impact of the recent devastating floods on the ocean will not affect this year’s sardine run in KwaZulu-Natal.

Dr Ryan Daly of the Oceanographic Research Institute in Durban and the SA Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity said conditions were set for the arrival of millions of sardines.

“What we know about the sardines so far is that there appears to be a lot in the Western Cape with sightings in the Plettenberg Bay area. We know they’re in the Cape. The question is, will they come here? Though the recent floods in KwaZulu-Natal caused a surge in water and debris into the Indian Ocean, the impact on the ocean has largely passed, and it shouldn’t impact the sardine run expected to arrive around May.

“Temperature is the main thing that dictates the timing and extent of the movement up the coast. It has been an unusual few years in that they’ve been very wet. However, 2020 and 2021 were relatively good sardine runs, both of which were similarly wet being La Niña years. It’s holding the same pattern so I think we are going to get another good one. We’ll have to wait and see,” he said.

Every winter‚ most often in June or July‚ millions of sardines leave the cold waters off Cape Point and make their way up the coast to KwaZulu-Natal.

Each year holiday-makers flock to the province to catch a glimpse of the spectacle, which is dubbed the Greatest Shoal on Earth, and includes sharks‚ birds and dolphins in a feeding frenzy as they prey on the sardines.

KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board operations manager Greg Thompson said monitoring would start in the second week of May.

“Our first few flights are normally through to East London to try to gauge how far north the sardines have moved. This is to ensure our shark safety gear is removed well before the first pockets reach KwaZulu-Natal waters.

“It’s fairly easy to monitor large quantities of sardines with associated predators in pursuit, but the small pilot shoals that pop up out of nowhere can be a challenge. Therefore we also rely on the information and sightings we receive from residents, fisherman and dive charters in the Eastern Cape,” he said.

Ugu South Coast Tourism CEO Phelisa Mangcu said the sardine run was a highlight on the south coast’s tourism calendar.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming visitors who can experience this natural display after two years in lockdown and the devastating recent floods. Whether from the land, sea or sky, we have the best viewpoints for our many visitors who are looking for a unique family-friendly holiday.”

TimesLIVE

https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/sout ... rdine-run/

[Richprins]

Sardine fever hits KwaZulu-Natal south coast
17 June 2022 - 15:07
Nivashni Nair Senior reporter

Holidaymakers, residents and entrepreneurial fishermen flocked to Margate on Friday, where the first shoal of sardines was netted.




Image: via Facebook/The Sardine Run

Silver ribbons of sardines streamed into KwaZulu-Natal on Friday‚ infecting the south coast with the much-anticipated “sardine fever”.

Entrepreneurial fishermen flocked to beaches at Margate to net them.

The KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board’s Greg Thompson confirmed there had been one successful net.

“I make no predictions as to when they will hit Durban shores because you never know with these fish, but I am glad they have arrived. It’s good for tourism,” he said.

Every winter‚ most often in June or July‚ millions of sardines leave the cold waters off Cape Point and make their way up the coast to KwaZulu-Natal.

Each year holidaymakers flock to the province to catch a glimpse of the spectacle, which is dubbed the Greatest Shoal on Earth, and includes sharks‚ birds and dolphins in a feeding frenzy as they prey on the sardines.

Earlier Thompson said the elusive little silver fish had “minds of their own” and “seem to enjoy proving us all wrong year after year”.

His crew conducted an observation flight into Eastern Cape waters on Tuesday to assess the movement of sardine shoals.

“The flight departed from Virginia Airport and turned at Hole In The Wall. The water was discoloured, ranging from 1m to 4m in KwaZulu-Natal, with some areas having zero visibility. The upper region of the Eastern Cape, from Mzamba to Goss Point, had a maximum of 2m to 3m visibility, with areas where mud was being churned up from the seabed to the surface. There was very little sardine-related activity spotted in this area, apart from two very small pockets seen in the surf zone off the Wild Coast Sun.”


“We then started seeing decent purple shoals of sardines, from Waterfall Bluff scattered right through to Poenskop, just north of Port St Johns. These pockets were mostly seen along the shallow line between the backline and slightly offshore. There were approximately 40 pockets seen, with one a long thin piece about 400m long. Throughout the flight we had large pods of common and bottlenose dolphin. We also saw 18 humpback whales and two Bryde’s whales,” Thompson said.

From Port St Johns to Hole In The Wall the sardine-related activity was seen further offshore, with most of the Cape Gannets off Hluleka and Mtakatye.

“Unfortunately with the muddy water on last week’s flight, we cannot really gauge how fast the sardine shoals are moving north, or if they are holding in the Waterfall Bluff/Mbotyi area,” said Thompson.

The next flight to East London is scheduled for June 21.

TimesLIVE
https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/sout ... uth-coast/

[Lisbeth]

[Richprins]

SAAMBR
oorstSnedp71ai27ct33ef7gf c81m95mc9231:4g07 4u1l2c6Jnam 10it ·
The sardine run season for 2023 has started off positively with a number of reports of a large shoal of sardines just south of Port St Johns this past week as well as sardine netting on the middle to lower south coast from about June 10th.
"These sardines are probably part of an initial pilot shoal that comes up the coast at the start of the season and are hopefully a sign of more things to come. The sardine run is an incredible phenomenon taking place every year as sardines follow a cold tongue of coastal water inshore up the coast from the Eastern Cape into KZN" said ORI Scientist Dr Ryan Daly.
Sardines prefer a temperature of about 19 degrees and take their gap along the coast to migrate northwards but sometimes get stuck as a patch of warm water pushes inshore early in the season. The sardines are typically pursued by all kinds of predators including common dolphins, Bryde's whales and gannets in the Eastern Cape and typically more sharks such as dusky, blacktip, spinner and bronze whaler sharks when they get to KZN.
As the sardines form tight schools as a response to predation, it provides the opportunity for all these predators to feed on these fish that are rich in fat and important food source at this time of year. Such shoals of sardines are pushed right inshore in KZN and can be spotted from the beach giving netters a chance to make their catch. The best conditions to see this phenomenon in are typically days when the sea is calm with smaller swell and good water visibility.
We hope that this season continues to be productive, and more sardines make their way up the coast to KZN.
Photo Credit : Dr Ryan Daly