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Marine And Coastal Management - Areas of Work - Recreational fishing

Recreational Fishing

Some 1 million women, men and children (above the age of 12) fish recreationally for marine fish.
Recreational fishing can only be undertaken if you have purchased a permit, which may be bought at a South African Post Office. A fee is payable. Any visitor to a South African coastal town or city may buy a recreational permit to fish for lobster, linefish or a host of other species.

Recreational fishers are limited to bag limits of fish on a per day basis. In addition, recreational fishing is limited to certain times of the fishing season. In order to reduce user conflicts between commercial and recreational fishing and to protect stocks during breeding periods, certain areas have been declared closed areas.

recreational_mpa_map.pdf 435kb
Recreational Fishing Brochure 2007.doc 140kb





Marine and Coastal Management has published a handy Recreational Fishing pamphlet which will guide you through the number and species of fish you may catch and where you may catch your fish. These pamphlets are available from any Marine and Coastal Management Fishery Control Office, Post Office or from the Customer Services Centre.

General

  1. A person may obtain a recreational fishing permit from an office authorised by the Minister, subject to the payment of a predetermined fee, to engage in one or more of the following types of recreational fishing: Angling, Spearfishing, Cast-netting and Marine Aquarium Fish. Recreational fishing permits will be endorsed in a manner that indicates which type of fishing or combination of types of fishing the permit holder is entitled to practice.
  2. A recreational fishing permit entitles the holder to catch fish for own use only and not for the purpose of selling or trading fish.
  3. The holder of a recreational fishing permit, endorsed for angling, is entitled to catch fish of the Class Pisces (i.e. bony fish, sharks, rays, skates and chimaeras) only with a rod, reel and line, to which no more than 10 hooks are attached. Specific angling regulations are listed below in sub-regulations 9 and 10.
  4. The holder of a recreational fishing permit, endorsed for spearfishing, is entitled to catch fish of the Class Pisces (i.e. bony fish, sharks, rays, skates and chimaeras) with only a speargun. Specific spearfishing regulations are listed below in sub-regulations 11 and 12.
  5. The holder of a recreational fishing permit, endorsed for cast-netting, is entitled to catch fish listed in Annexure 4 with a cast-net, which is a circular net weighted at the circumference for the purpose of casting, not exceeding 6 m in diameter. Specific cast-netting regulations are listed below in sub-regulations 13 and 14.
  6. The holder of a recreational fishing permit, endorsed for marine aquarium fish, is entitled to catch any fish species not listed in the prohibited list of Annexure 5 for display in an aquarium. Specific marine aquarium regulations are listed below in sub-regulations 15 and 16.
  7. The skipper of a vessel used for any recreational fishing that may be undertaken from a vessel shall be in possession of a recreational fishing permit endorsed for recreational fishing from a vessel.
  8. The holder of a recreational fishing permit, shall not use any artificial respiratory equipment, with the exception of a snorkel, except in the case of marine aquarium fishing.

    Regulations specific to recreational angling
  9. The holder of a recreational fishing permit endorsed for angling shall not catch, disturb, land, keep or control:
    (a) any fish listed in the Prohibited Species list of Annexure 6,
    (b) more fish than the bag-limit listed in respect of each species in Species List of Annexure 6 during any one day. Furthermore, there is an overall cumulative daily bag limit of ten, irrespective of the species caught and provided that this limit does not apply to those species listed here with no bag limit, and to those with a bag limit exceeding ten;
    (c) any fish smaller than, or of a mass less than, the size-limit listed in respect of each species in the Species List of Annexure 6;
    (d) any fish during the closed-season listed in respect of each species in the Species List of Annexure 6.
  10. The holder of a recreational fishing permit endorsed for angling may use a gaff for the purpose of landing a fish that has been hooked on a line, but may never use a club, stick spear or speargun.

  1. Regulations specific to recreational spearfishing

  2. The holder of a recreational fishing permit endorsed for spearfishing shall not catch, disturb, land, keep, or control:
    (a) any fish listed in the Prohibited Species list of Annexure 6,
    (b) more fish than the bag-limit listed in respect of each species in Species List of Annexure 6 during any one day. Furthermore, there is an overall cumulative daily bag limit of ten, irrespective of the species caught and provided that this limit does not
    apply to those species listed here with no bag limit, and to those with a bag limit exceeding ten;
    (c) any fish smaller than, or of a mass less than, the size-limit listed in respect of each species in the Species List of Annexure 6;
    (d) any fish during the closed-season listed in respect of each species in the Species List of Annexure 6.

  3. The holder of a recreational fishing permit endorsed for spearfishing shall not catch fish or attempt to catch fish in an estuary.

    Regulations specific to recreational cast-netting

  4. The holder of a recreational fishing permit endorsed for cast-netting shall not catch, disturb, land, keep, or control:
    (a) any fish not listed in the species list of Annexure 4,
    (b) more fish than the bag-limit listed in respect of each species in species list of Annexure 4 during any one day;
    (c) any fish smaller than, or of a mass less than, the size-limit listed in respect of each species in the species list of Annexure 4;

  5. The holder of a recreational fishing permit endorsed for cast-netting shall not fish or attempt to catch fish between sunset and sunrise.

    Regulations specific to marine aquarium fishing

  6. he holder of a recreational fishing permit endorsed for marine aquarium fish shall not catch, disturb, or land:
    (a) any fish listed in Annexure 5;
    (b) more than five fish per species;
    (c) more fish than the bag-limit listed in respect of each species in species list of Annexure 6 during any one day;
    (d) any fish smaller than, or of a mass less than, the size-limit listed in respect of each species in the Species List of Annexure 6;
    (d) any fish during the closed-season listed in respect of each species in the Species List of Annexure 6.
  7. The holder of a recreational fishing permit endorsed for marine aquarium fish must:
    (a) immediately transfer all fish caught in terms of this permit to a saltwater aquarium or holding facility of sufficient capacity to sustain the lives of the fish.
    (b) keep a log-book indicating all additions to the aquarium (including those bred or hatched in the aquarium) and losses, indicating the species, origin, and cause of loss.