Coast KZN

DURBAN – There’s been a frenzy of sardine netting off Durban’s uShaka pier on Tuesday due to a late run of the popular silvery fish.  Netters have been out in force since early on Tuesday with well-known netter Goolam Essack confirming that they netted 100 crates today. He added they expected more fish on Wednesday morning.  While the traditional sardine run normally takes place in the winter months of July, the late run has seen netters out on Durban’s main beaches three times in October.

“It has been years since the fish have come in this late. In the 60s we would sometimes still be catching sardines in January, but that hasn’t happened for a long time. Perhaps it is climate change.

This year the fish are still coming in from the south. We have heard there are big shoals out at sea and down the south coast. There are bait balls all over,” said Essack.

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KZN Sharks Board Gregg Thompson said this is the third time this month that sardines have been netted on Durban’s beachfront, adding that netting at this time of year is not that “uncommon”. There are many theories that are debated when this happens, Many fishermen feel that these are sardines returning south after dropping their eggs in the deep, but that move inshore due to water temperature change.

“Then there are others who feel that a certain amount of sardines stay in our waters mainly on the deeper lines, but also move inshore with changes in the water temperature. This movement happens every few years and the Durban beachfront is the area they frequent.

“These fish are just once again proving just how unpredictable they are.

They may very well continue to net for a few days or there’s also a good chance they won’t be seen again,” said Thompson.