Exploitation and conservation of angling fish in two South African estuaries

1. Recreational and subsistence angling in South African estuaries is a small, but relevant, sector of South Africa's diverse coastal fisheries. This paper reviews these fisheries and their effects in two estuaries. 2. The composition of angler's catches in two large Eastern Cape Province estuaries has hardly changed over a period of nearly 20 years. 3. Gill-net catches (in terms of CPUE) indicate a decline in the abundance of the most popular angling fish species, especially the spotted grunter Pomadasys commersonnii. 4. Regular freshwater inputs into estuaries are required to ensure a salinity gradient which is crucial for the maintenance of an abundant and diverse estuarine ichthyofaunal assemblage. 5. Present management and conservation policies are poorly defined, and the philosophy and principles of ecosystem preservation, rather than that of species preservation, should be seriously considered. (C) 1996 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.