Sardine catch limits imposed as fishery reels from mass die-off
Testing confirmed PHV in sardines sampled from both the Western Cape and the Eastern Cape, supporting a connection between the two outbreaks.
The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) has temporarily imposed limits on sardine catches following a mass mortality event along South Africa's coast since late July. The decision was made after the Small Pelagic Scientific Working Group (SWG-PEL) met on September 4 to review diagnostic results, mortality estimates, and fishing data.
While the magnitude of the mortality remains uncertain, the SWG-PEL recommended a temporary precautionary limitation on catches. Officials acknowledged that the numbers behind the decision remained "scenario-based and highly uncertain" due to assumptions about fish density and limited data on fish that may have sunk to the seabed.
The mortalities began in the Western Cape in late July and spread to East London, the Wild Coast, and Namibia by early September. Testing confirmed the presence of the pilchard herpesvirus (PHV) in sardines from both the Western Cape and Gqeberha, leading the department to consider PHV as the most likely primary cause of the outbreak.
No evidence of human infection was found, and the public was advised not to collect, eat, or use dead or dying sardines as bait.
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