50% of you think that the South African Government has the potential to make the biggest impact on reducing carbon emissions in South Africa; | |
8% opted for the technology sector; and | |
42% opted for private industry. |
Shuttle Discovery landed for the last time at Florida’s Kennedy Space Centre on 9 March 2011. Discovery has completed 39 space voyages (its first being on 30 August 1984), has spent a total of 365 days in space and travelled more than 238 million kilometres during it’s lifetime.
Dr Paul Cowley tagging a galjoen on one of his field trips. |
Who would have thought that catching a fish and then releasing it would get you a prize in an angling competition? South African fisheries resources are under threat and in response to this an angling club has now implemented an angling competition of a different kind.
Four years ago, while on a field trip at the Sundays River Estuary near Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape, a team of researchers from the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB) met a group of fishermen from the Mackay Bridge Angling Club who were getting ready for a fishing competition.
This meeting led to the Club chairperson, Chris Tye, asking Dr Paul Cowley, SAIAB Principal Aquatic Biologist, to give a talk on sustainable fishing to club members. Using the opportunity to communicate his field of science Cowley introduced anglers to catch-and-release fishing, and today the club proudly practices what he preaches.
The Mackay Bridge Angling Club hosts an annual fishing competition called the All Clubs Light Tackle Boat Competition. The competition traditionally entails a weekend-long fishing expedition where winners were judged by the weight of their catch, which included the heaviest fish and the heaviest bag of fish. “The Sundays Estuary is one of our tagging study sites, so we expressed an interest to participate in the competition,” explains Cowley. In response to Cowley and his team’s talk on sustainable fishing, the competition gradually switched to a catch-and-release competition. “The following year, catch-and-release was voluntary and we assisted with the tagging and releasing of fish,” said Cowley.
Cowley’s influence has not only changed the format of the competition, but also educated anglers. The competition has now added an educational component to the programme, which is held on the first day of the competition. This allows anglers to enjoy fishing as a sport and SAIAB researchers have an opportunity to speak about the science behind catch-and-release fishing.
“We take all our posters, banners and brochures and give a little talk on successful catch-and-release methods, the importance of conservation and angling techniques,” says Cowley. According to Tye, the change in format of the competition was well-received by anglers and created a much needed awareness around fishing in a sustainable manner. The anglers have learned much from Cowley about fish handling and there is now the added challenge of keeping the fish healthy and unharmed until one of the SAIAB taggers arrives.
The catch-and-release event also has prizes to encourage releasing the fish. Cowley and his research team are on site to ensure that all released fish will remain alive. The first 25 fish to be caught and successfully released are awarded prizes. If previously released fish are caught again, the angler is awarded R2500, however, according to Tye, this prize remains to be claimed.
South African fisheries resources are on the decline and all citizens must be encouraged to take measures to protect aquatic environments and their resources. The implementation of catch-and-release competitions provides testimony to the commitment of the Mackay Bridge Angling Club to promote sustainable fisheries. The challenge is to encourage other angling clubs, competition organisers, as well as social anglers, to practice catch-and-release and promote responsible recreational fishing.
Cowley’s research interests lie in the biology, ecology and movement of coastal fish and the management of declining fishery resources.