Sardine deaths ease, but are they safe to eat?
The DFFE said sardine deaths on the Wild Coast had eased, but a virus probe and catch limit continues. Here is what it means for seafood safety.
The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) reported on Sunday that no new dead sardines had been found since September 10, 2026. Isolated deaths were last observed near Mbotji on South Africa's Wild Coast. While monitoring continues, officials stated that the acute phase of the mortality event has subsided.
The DFFE cautioned that it is premature to declare the event over. They urged coastal authorities, fishers, and the public to report any new incidents promptly. The primary suspect in the sardine deaths remains the pilchard herpesvirus (PHV). Scientists are conducting tests on samples from before and during the die-off, as well as from commercial sardine catches, to better understand the virus's cause, spread, and source.
The role of ocean conditions in the outbreak is also under investigation. The temporary catch restriction, introduced on September 11, 2026, is still in effect until October 2, 2026. The Small Pelagic Scientific Working Group will meet on September 29, 2026, to review mortality reports, laboratory results, and catch data before advising on the sardine fishery post-restriction.
Any decision will be shared subsequently. The High-Level PHV Task Team oversaw the response plan, and a year-end hydroacoustic survey is planned to estimate sardine biomass and distribution following the mortality event. The DFFE addressed health concerns, assuring that PHV does not infect humans and that commercially produced sardine products released through regulated channels remain safe.
They advised beachgoers not to collect, consume, feed dead sardines to animals, or use them as bait.
Written by urgent.news from The Citizen's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
