Fishers and green groups demand sardine fishing pause
Environmental groups and small-scale fishers want the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment to be more open about a mass sardine die-off along roughly 2,600 kilometres of coastline. They want fishing suspended until a new survey is done.
The die-offs are linked to the pilchard herpesvirus. The government has temporarily restricted commercial fishing catches. The groups want a full suspension until a new biomass survey ends and an updated catch limit is announced.
Neville Van Rooy, spokesperson for The Green Connection, said nobody yet knows how bad the damage is. He said the scale must be checked and made public. He warned that continued fishing could harm the fish population more.
WWF South Africa wants a total ban on sardine fishing. The department said there was not enough evidence to justify a complete ban. Fishers and conservationists say the government lets fishing go on despite doubt about the outbreak's effect on stocks.
Fishing communities said falling sardine numbers could threaten livelihoods and food security.
Key facts
- Who
- Neville Van Rooy (spokesperson for The Green Connection); Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (government department overseeing fishing restrictions); WWF South Africa (environmental group calling for a total ban on sardine fishing); The Green Connection (environmental group calling for suspension of sardine fishing)
- What
- Mass sardine die-offs driven by the pilchard herpesvirus struck the coastline, prompting the government to temporarily restrict commercial fishing catches. Environmental groups and small-scale fishers are calling for a temporary suspension of sardine fishing until a new biomass survey is completed and an updated catch limit is announced.
- When
- 3 November 2026
- Where
- South Africa
- Status
- Reported