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CARA clinics hook anglers in the interest of protecting our environment
Dr Paul Cowley, Principal Scientist at the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB) actively promotes catch-and-release angling, which is gaining support among recreational anglers. Cowley manages various research projects which monitor the movement patterns of vulnerable fisheries species such as dusky kob, white steenbras and spotted grunter between estuaries and the open sea. Estuaries are complex habitats that serve as nursery areas for juveniles of many fishery species. However, all along our coastline the health of estuaries is increasingly under threat from human exploitation through inappropriate development as well as subsistence and recreational fishing. As a scientist who is passionate about his work, Cowley says that scientific research is usually only published in scientific papers and journals, and the problem is that these publications do not get to the people who need this information the most - the fishermen and policy makers. A keen fisherman himself, Cowley gathers information from fellow fishermen and, in return, shares his research findings with them. "This is because a lot of anglers do not have the basic understanding of the biology and life history of fishes, so the information we give them is vital. We also teach them best practices for the handling of fishes to ensure survival of fish returned alive," he explains. Tagging marine fish Marine fish tagging in South Africa has taken shape over several decades with the establishment of a number of dedicated research projects across the country, all of which are linked to the National Tagging Programme run by the Oceanographic Research Institute (ORI) in Durban. These programmes perform a vital function in providing information on the seasonal abundance, movements, migrations and growth of many important fishery species. Cowley, together with an experienced citizen scientist, Chris Shoultz, host catch-and-release angling (CARA) clinics, which are sponsored by local fishing tackle distributors Commercial Marine. At these clinics they speak to anglers at a practical level about the biology of important fish species, the ecology of estuaries and catch-and-release practices. Riaan Oliphant, a fisherman attending a recent workshop at the Swartkops Estuaries, said he found the clinic most insightful and looks forward to reading up on catch-and-release initiatives. Cowley and Shoultz usually host two workshops a year and they attract their audiences via social media. They have a Facebook page and a blog on Sealine (an online fisherman discussion forum) to advertise the events. The blog, which is centred on catch-and-release of fishes in the Swartkops Estuary, is one of the most visited fisherman blog sites in the country. Cowley says that even though they have a limited number of people per workshop, there are quite a number of hits on their blog and Facebook page. Television shows Cowley and Schoutlz recently appeared in a series of television shows (Inside Angling) aired on SuperSport 6, stressing the importance of catch-and-release practices. During the screening of one of the Inside Angling shows, Cowley and the show host Craig Thompson advertised the easy-to-read booklet A guide to the Ecology of Temporary Open/Closed Estuaries. The booklet was co-edited by Cowley and Professor Allan Whitfield and published by SAIAB with funding from the Water Research Commission. There is no doubt that people are interested in finding out more about our estuaries and how to preserve them - since the guide was mentioned on television, SAIAB has received hordes of requests for the booklet. Cowley and his colleagues are currently sourcing funding for a road show to take the CARA message around the country. Protection of fish species Apart from the vital outreach and science communication role played by these catch-and-release programmes, they are also vital for the protection of species and for influencing policy direction. The research results obtained from tagging fish help government set appropriate legislation to protect and sustain our valuable, but vulnerable, fish stocks. If you catch a fish with a tag or find a tag that has come adrift, please contact oritag@ori.org.za or phone 082 TAG FISH. By Nonceba Mhlauli, Intern, SAIAB |
