The importance of responsible fishing practices

Many of us are aware of the implications of poor management when it comes to commercial and recreational fisheries. Declines in top predators, niche replacement and the collapse of fish stocks are just some of the "common" issues we see in the face of increasing pressure on marine resources through extraction and exploitation. But what many people don't see, or perhaps might not even consider, is the impact of other human actions on the marine realm, including pollution and irresponsible fishing practices.

People often argue that commercial fisheries cause the most damage to living marine resources - and the marine environment in general - but that is because it is often difficult to see or quantify the damages caused by our everyday activities. Activities that we can regulate; behaviours that we can change; actions that we, as individuals, can undertake to make a difference.

Take litter, for instance. Most land-based pollution ends up in the sea, floating around on the surface. Much of this litter (e.g., aluminum cans, strops from bait packets, cigarette butts) is shiny and very interesting to marine creatures like birds, turtles and sharks who, in general, are quite curious. Interactions between marine animals and human pollution often prove fatal as much of the litter is consumed by, or becomes entangled around, a particular animal. The pictures below illustrate just how damaging pollution can be to these animals.

Fishing gut tangled around the head of a seal.

A curious bird which ingested plastic and aluminum floating on the surface of the sea. The litter in the stomach makes the bird feel full, resulting in a slow death due to starvation.

Other issues include irresponsible angling practices, whereby anglers who catch and release their fish do so without cutting the line as closely to the hook as possible. Many fish become entangled in the remaining line, ultimately resulting in slow and painful deaths due, for example, to suffocation. Morne Hardenberg - avid scuba diver, photographer and shark conservationist - was diving with blue sharks off Cape Point this past weekend and bore witness to the consequences of such practices.

A small blue shark (1.5m total length) entangled in a line from fishing gear. The shark will inevitably face a slow death, likely due to suffocation and eventual decapitation as it continues to grow.

For the detailed story on Morne's dive with the blues and his feelings about seeing this shark, visit the Save Our Seas Foundation Blogspot.

In an attempt to address the issue of responsible fishing practices, SASC developed responsible angling guidelines for sharks to mitigate some of the damage done by recreational and/or commercial fishers. These guidelines were developed in association with Marine and Coastal Management (MCM) and many keen recreational anglers. You can read through these guidelines and see how you can contribute to better fishing practices by visiting our Anglers Corner.