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1.
Shark catches in the protective nets set off the beaches of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa, are strongly influenced by the sardine run, the winter influx of shoals of Sardinops sagax from the south-west. The effect of the sardine run, which is highly variable from year to year, is greatest in June and July at beaches south of Durban. Total annual shark catch and effort are presented for the period 1952–2005, and total monthly shark catch on the KZN south coast for the period May–August, 1965–2005. Measures to reduce catches of sharks associated with the sardine run have been introduced and have been increasingly successful. Reliable species-specific catch data are available for the period 1978–2005 only. For this period, the spatio-temporal distribution of each of 14 species of shark and the frequency of occurrence of sardine in their diets is documented. Occurrence varies according to species, as does the apparent influence of the sardine run on shark distribution. During June and July on the KZN south coast, sardine were found in the diet of all but two species and frequency of occurrence was 40% or greater in eight species. The presence of copper or bronze whaler sharks Carcharhinus brachyurus in KZN waters appears to be strongly associated with the sardine run, as does that of certain life-history stages of dusky sharks C. obscurus. Spinner sharks C. brevipinna and smooth hammerhead sharks Sphyrna lewini are caught in greater numbers in summer than in winter, but appear to shift their spatial distribution seasonally to feed on sardine.  相似文献   

2.
Between 1978 and 1990,1 800 copper sharks Carcharhinus brachyurus were caught in the shark nets that protect the swimming beaches of Natal. The species constituted 9,6 per cent of the total shark catch. Annual catches and catch rates fluctuated widely about a mean of 138 sharks and 3,5 sharks·km net?1 respectively. Most sharks were caught at the southern beaches during the annual Natal sardine run in June and July, when shoals of pilchard Sardinops ocellatus move into the waters off southern Natal. Catches were dominated by sharks >140 cm pre-caudal length PCL. Mature males (generally ≥ 175 cm PCL) were present for much of the year, but mature females (generally ≥ 190 cm) and immature sharks were only abundant in June and July. Gonad indices in males were highest in March and April, whereas high gonad indices and large ova were recorded in females in June and July. Mating appears to take place after July and parturition about 12 months later, both occur south of the netted region. The smallest of 50 pregnant females caught was 178 cm. Mean embryo length within a litter ranged from 17 to 54 cm. Teleosts were found in 92 per cent and pilchard in 84 per cent of stomachs containing food.  相似文献   

3.
We present the first quantitative study of the occurrence, size and sex of white sharks Carcharodon carcharias at Bird Island, Algoa Bay. Twenty-two boat trips were made to Bird Island between November 2009 and October 2011 to chum for sharks. A total of 53 sharks was observed over the study period, ranging in size from 1.5 to 4.5 m total length (TL) and with the majority (60.3%) being <3 m TL. The sex ratio of sharks for which sex could be determined was not significantly different from unity. In both study years, sharks were present only in the winter between April and November with a maximum of 1.2 sharks sighted per hour. A zero-altered model, comprising a logistic regression to model presence/absence and a log-normal generalised linear model for abundance, showed that season explained the presence of sharks, peaking in mid-July, with abundance being significantly higher with higher barometric pressure. This study identified Bird Island as an important white shark aggregation site on the east coast of South Africa. These data are crucial not only to improve our understanding of white shark seasonal distribution and biology, but also for the long-term management and conservation of the species in South Africa.  相似文献   

4.
An integrated telephone and on-site questionnaire survey was used to estimate total shark fishing effort and specific catch of the ragged-tooth shark Carcharias taurus by coastal club-affiliated shore-anglers, primarily along the east coast of South Africa. Mean total shark fishing effort was estimated to be 37 820 fisher-days year?1 (95% CI = 28 281–47 359 fisher-days year?1) with a mean cpue of 0.073 C. taurus fisher?1 day?1 (95% CI = 0.068–0.078 fisher?1 day?1). Cpue for C. taurus varied significantly along the coast and ranged from a high of 0.260 fisher?1 day?1 in the Eastern Cape to zero fisher?1 day?1 on the West Coast. The total number of C. taurus caught annually by coastal club anglers was estimated at 1 764 fish year?1 (95% CI = 321–3 207 fish year?1). The majority (92.1%) of young-of-the-year sharks (<1.2m total length, TL) were recorded between East London and Jeffreys Bay, suggesting that this may be the primary nursery area for C. taurus. Post-release mortality ranged from 3.8% for young-of-the-year sharks to 18.5% for adult sharks (>2.4m TL). The majority (76.2%) of anglers interviewed stated that they now fished less for sharks since the banning of vehicles on beaches in December 2001. As a result of this ban, almost half (49.2%) of interviewed anglers stated that they now fished more for non-cartilaginous species.  相似文献   

5.
Data from 36 whale shark (Rhincodon typus Smith, 1828) sightings off north‐east North Island, New Zealand are summarised. Sightings were concentrated over the outer shelf and shelf break in areas influenced by the East Auckland Current at sea surface temperatures (SST) of 21–24°C. Sightings occurred from late spring to early autumn (November‐April) but were most frequent in midsummer (February) when upwelling along the north‐east shelf is weakest. The data indicate whale sharks occur off north‐east New Zealand most summers, including those when SST is colder than usual. A cluster of sightings and three observations of whale sharks feeding on schools of anchovy (Engraulis australis) near Whale Island, Bay of Plenty, suggest whale sharks may aggregate seasonally in this area. Estimated total lengths (TL) of 26 whale sharks ranged from 3.5 to 15 m, with 73% between 6 and 9 m TL.  相似文献   

6.
Between 1978 and 1993, 209 great hammerhead sharks Sphyrna mokarran were caught in the shark nets which protect the swimming beaches of KwaZulu-Natal. This species constituted 0,97% of the total shark catch, with a mean annual catch of 13. Catch rates showed a significant decline during the period under review, from 0,66 to 0,09 sharks·km-net?1·year?1. Most sharks were caught in the north of the netted region between January and May. Catches at Mzamba, the southern extremity of the netted region, represent the southernmost records of this species on the east African coast. The males ranged in size from 106 cm precaudal length (18 kg) to 264 cm (220 kg) and females from 140 cm (35 kg) to 326 cm (400 kg). Males matured at about 217 cm and females at 237 cm. Very few sharks were found in mating condition. Elasmobranchs were found in 82% of non-empty stomachs. There was a high incidence of stingrays (Dasyatidae), guitarfish (Rhinobatidae) and other bottom-dwelling fish in the diet.  相似文献   

7.
The major causes of large whale entanglement in South Africa are static fishing gear, especially the type associated with the West Coast rock lobster Jasus lalandii industry, and large-mesh gillnets that are set off the coast of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) to reduce shark attacks (shark nets). The prevalence of entanglements is seasonal with the peaks in activity coinciding with the breeding migrations of humpback whales Megaptera novaeangliae and southern right whales Eubalaena australis, the two large whale species that are the most prone to entanglement. Generalised linear models with a Poisson or quasi-Poisson distribution were used to describe the relationship between the number of incidents and time. Taking into account the combined length of shark-net installations per year as an offset variable, entanglement of humpback whales in shark nets increased at 15.1% per year (95% CI = 9.5–21.6%) from 1990 to 2009. This is comparable to the rate of increase in the numbers of this species migrating past the KZN coast, between 1988 and 2002 (9–11%). The number of reported incidents of southern right whales entangled in gear other than shark nets also increased between 1990 and 2009. This was accounted for by the increase in numbers of this species in South Africa (7% per year), so in neither case are the two species at increasing risk of individual entanglement, and anthropogenic factors including entanglement do not seem to be affecting the recovery of these whale populations. Nevertheless, there is concern regarding the vulnerability to entanglement of a small assemblage of humpback whales that habitually visits the West Coast in spring and summer. The continued recovery of whale populations is likely to lead to greater levels of anthropogenic interaction and heighten the need for adequate mitigation measures. The KZN Sharks Board and the South African Whale Disentanglement Network (since 2006) have respectively released (disentangled) 81% and 23% of confirmed entangled individuals, and recorded relevant information on entanglement incidents. Such information is critical for developing mitigation measures and monitoring the prevalence of entanglement.  相似文献   

8.
A total of 772 bull sharks Carcharhinus leucas was caught in Natal's protective "shark nets" between 1978 and 1990. Confusion in distinguishing C. leucas from C. amboinensis resulted in their catch data being combined from 1966, when data collection began, to 1977. The catch rate of the species pair declined until 1977, recovered until the mid 1980s, but subsequently declined again. The trend in catch rate of C. leucas alone for the period 1978–1990 was similar, with minima of 0,70 sharks·km-net?1·year?1 in 1978 and 0,95 in 1990, and a maximum of 2,08 in 1986. Recaptures of six tagged sharks suggest that the species is not highly migratory. Catches, particularly of immature sharks, were highest at the northernmost beaches. Most bull sharks were caught in summer and in turbid water (mean water clarity 2,0 m). The sex ratio of the catch was 1 male to 1,3 females. Sizes ranged from 74 to 213 cm precaudal length, with modes of 141–145 cm (males) and 171–175 cm (females). Size at maturity for both sexes was between 180 and 190 cm. The mating season was prolonged but with a summer peak. Seven gravid females were examined; the mean litter size was 8,7 embryos and size at birth was approximately 55 cm. Fluke infections were observed on 9 per cent of animals examined. As size increased there was a shift in diet, in terms of frequency of occurrence, from teleost to elasmobranch predominance. There was a high incidence of benthic and demersal species in the stomachs. Minor prey groups included mammals, birds, turtles, molluscs and crustaceans. Scavenging appeared to be important.  相似文献   

9.
Between 1978 and 1990, 209 Java sharks Carcharhinus amboinensis were caught in the shark nets that protect the swimming beaches of Natal, thereby constituting 0,5 per cent of the total shark catch. The catch rate was relatively constant at about 0,4 sharks·km net?1·year?1. Catches were highest at the northernmost beaches in summer and autumn and they consisted mostly of juvenile, but not newborn, and adolescent sharks. Specimens ranged from 99 to 176 cm PCL, with a mode of 131–135 cm for males and 131–145 cm for females. Males matured at 150 cm and females at 160 cm. Of the eight mature females caught, five were pregnant. Mating takes place in late summer and gestation is thought to last approximately 12 months. The largest embryo found was 53 cm. Teleosts were identified in 62,1 per cent of the 103 stomachs that contained food. Elasmobranchs (44,7%), crustaceans (12,6%) and cephalopods (11,6%) were the other major prey groups. Most of the fish prey were demersal, associated with soft bottoms.  相似文献   

10.
Many of the world's fish populations are overexploited, including Ghana's fish resources. This study examines spatio-temporal trends in fish species composition in relation to biotic, abiotic and anthropogenic factors, towards achieving better-informed management of the beach-seine fisheries. Fishery-dependent data were collected between November 1999 and October 2001 from 94 beach-seine hauls fished at two stations along the Ghanaian coast. The catch consisted of fish, crustaceans, other invertebrates, and macroalgae. Generally, juveniles of species that are exploited by offshore fisheries were found in the catches. Species abundance and their occurrence generally peaked between November and January. Duration of solar radiation and tide level appeared to be important predictors of fish biomass. It is important to exploit the nearshore fish assemblage sustainably because of its nursery role. A co-managed (fishers and government) three-month ban on beach-seining (between May and July) is recommended as the most appropriate control measure towards the sustainability of Ghanaian fish stocks.  相似文献   

11.
The smooth hammerhead shark, Sphyrna zygaena, occurs in warm temperate waters around the northern North Island of New Zealand. Commercial fishing records and research trawl survey data were used to determine their distribution. Highest catch rates were recorded in relatively sheltered bays and coastlines along the northeast coast of North Island. Neonate and juvenile sharks use shallow coastal waters and large harbours and estuaries as nursery areas up to an age of two years and total length of 150?cm. Five sharks were electronically tagged but two apparently died and three (137–160?cm total length) returned useful data. Two tagged sharks remained in or near the Bay of Islands for 6–55 days after tagging, moving extensively through the bay. A third shark moved about 155?km southeast in 250 days. That shark spent 70 days mostly shallower than 10?m (94% of time) with occasional dives to 40?m. Thereafter, it oscillated between the surface and depths of 60?80?m, with most time (55%) being spent at 40?60?m. Maximum recorded depth was 144?m.  相似文献   

12.
White sharks Carcharodon carcharias aggregate at specific times of the year at localities along the South African coast. At Mossel Bay, on the southern Cape coast, four sites were sampled (Seal Island, Hartenbos, Kleinbrak and Grootbrak) to investigate spatial and seasonal patterns in relative abundance and life-history composition. These are known aggregation sites within the bay, each having particular physical and/or biological characteristics. Sightings-per-unit-effort data were collected from February to December 2008–2010. Sighting rates demonstrated significant seasonal and interannual variation at the four sites. The highest mean sighting rate was recorded at Seal Island and the lowest at Hartenbos, which might be a consequence of differences in prey availability. The greatest interannual variability was recorded at Kleinbrak, followed by Seal Island, with little variability at Grootbrak and Hartenbos. White sharks appeared to concentrate at Grootbrak and Kleinbrak in summer and autumn, at Seal Island in winter, and at Hartenbos and Seal Island in spring. All life-history stages were present year-round but their occurrence was influenced significantly by season (p < 0.05), although not site. Few adults (325–424 cm total length) were seen, with the highest frequency being in spring, whereas that of young-of-the-year (≤174 cm) was in autumn. Juveniles (175–324 cm) constituted 78% of the animals sighted, indicating that Mossel Bay is an important aggregation site for this life-history stage.  相似文献   

13.
The current study provides long-term catch rate and biological data for tiger sharks Galeocerdo cuvier caught in the KwaZulu-Natal bather protection programme. Between 1978 and 2014, 1 760 G. cuvier were caught in nets and between 2007 and 2014, 108 G. cuvier were caught on drumlines. Standardised catch rates increased significantly over time (p < 0.001) for both small (≤180 cm precaudal length, PCL) and large sharks (>180 cm). There was also a significant temporal increase in the mean size of sharks across gear types (p < 0.001). A quasi-Poisson generalised additive mixed model showed that the deployment of drumlines had no significant effect on the catch rate of sharks in nets. The nets, however, caught significantly larger sharks (mean 184.5 cm, SD 39) than did drumlines (mean 138.6 cm, SD 36.5; p < 0.001). The size frequency of the catch was unimodal and females significantly outnumbered males in both gear types. Few young-of-the-year (0.8%) or mature sharks (1.8%) were caught. Only 23 (4.7%) of the 486 sharks tagged and released were recaptured, with the majority (87.0%) of those recaptured <150 km from their original tagging locality. The results from this study suggest an increasing local population trend in G. cuvier along the KwaZulu-Natal coast.  相似文献   

14.
Shark nets were established along the KwaZulu-Natal coast in 1952 to protect bathers against shark encounters. Sea turtle bycatch data for the period 1981–2008 in these shark nets indicated that loggerheads Caretta caretta were caught most frequently at 40.9 y–1 or 1.11 km-net–1 y–1, followed by green turtles Chelonia mydas at 0.32 km-net–1 y–1 and leatherbacks Dermochelys coriacea at 0.14 km-net–1 y–1. Catch rate of loggerheads increased throughout the study period, and was positively correlated with the increase in the number of nesting females from the recovering population in Maputaland, South Africa (r = 0.52, p < 0.05, n = 28). This increase is ascribed to successful nest conservation. Leatherback bycatch remained stable, following their nesting trends, although they receive similar conservation efforts on nesting beaches as loggerheads. Bycatch of green turtles, although not a nesting species in South Africa, was stable over time. Mortality varied between species (from 53.2% to 70.6%) with loggerheads being the most hardy, followed by leatherbacks and green turtles. Few hawksbills Eretmochelys imbricata and olive ridleys Lepidochelys olivacea were caught in the shark nets. Fewer sea turtles are caught by shark nets than by longlines and because the nesting populations of loggerheads, green turtles and leatherbacks are either stable or increasing in the South-West Indian Ocean, shark net bycatch was considered negligible and sustainable.  相似文献   

15.
Two designs of artificial shelters were evaluated for use in the artisanal spiny-lobster fishery in Gazi Bay, Kenya. Both types of shelter were effective in aggregating the spiny lobster Panulirus ornatus in nearshore sea-grass beds. Lobsters aggregated at the shelters were caught by free-diving fishermen, using spearguns and hand nets. Mean lobster catches taken from the shelters ranged from 0,38 to 0,83 kg·trip?1, around 50% of those taken farther offshore in natural reefs. No significant difference was found in the size or sex composition between shelter and reef-caught lobsters.  相似文献   

16.
Catches from competitive shore-anglers, inshore boat-based anglers and sightings by spearfishers and divers were used to infer the spatial and seasonal movement patterns of young-of-the-year (<1.2m TL), juvenile (1.2–1.8m TL), sub-adult (1.8–2.4m TL) and adult (>2.4m TL) ragged-tooth sharks Carcharias taurus along the coast of South Africa. Adult sharks inhabited the entire coast between Maputaland in the east and St Helena Bay on the West Coast. The geographical range of sharks at earlier life-history stages decreased with size. The vast majority (93.8%) of young-of-the-year sharks recorded from competitive shore-angling club records were between East London and St Francis Bay on the East Coast, suggesting this region to be the primary nursery area for C. taurus. Estuarine systems, although utilised by young-of-the-year and juvenile C. taurus, do not form an important component of their nursery area in South Africa. Catches of pregnant and post partum females taken during the same time of year and in different areas indicated a biennial reproductive cycle. C. taurus appears to display a high degree of affinity for particular reefs. The reason some reefs are chosen over others, despite having similar physical characteristics, remains unclear. A significant increase in the number of C. taurus caught in competitions held by the Border Rock and Surf Angling Association between 1984 and 2004 suggests an increase in the abundance of C. taurus.  相似文献   

17.
It is not known whether sharksuckers have positive or negative effects on their hosts, partly because this association is difficult to study in free‐ranging fish. I observed the behaviour of sharks with and without sharksuckers, to determine whether the hosts actively avoid sharksuckers. Wild blacktip sharks, Carcharhinus limbatus, took evasive actions when sharksuckers, Echeneis naucrates, attached to them, presumably to escape from skin irritation or hydrodynamical drag caused by the sharksuckers. Sharksuckers were most often attached to the belly or back of the shark, and sharks reacted most strongly to sharksuckers on their heads, sides, and dorsal fins. Observations of two captive bull sharks, Carcharhinus leucas, indicated that swimming speed increased when sharksuckers were attached. This paper supports the hypothesis that sharksucker attachment irritates sharks, and that the relationship between the two is best viewed as a subtle host–parasite interaction.  相似文献   

18.
The South African midwater trawl fishery targets adult horse mackerel Trachurus capensis. The bulk of the catch is taken by a single freezer-trawler, the biggest fishing vessel operating in South African waters. As fishing takes place off the south coast in ecologically sensitive areas, there are concerns about the potential impacts of this fishing operation on non-target species. Fishing behaviour and bycatch of this fishery from 2004 to 2014 were investigated by analysing observer records with regard to catch composition, volume and temporal and spatial patterns. The midwater trawl fishery was estimated to have caught 25 415 tonnes annually, with a bycatch of 6.9% of the total catch, by weight. There are species overlaps with various fisheries, namely the demersal trawl, small-pelagic, line, shark longline and squid fisheries, yet the total bycatch estimates from this fishery are generally small relative to catches taken in the target fisheries. Bycatch species with the highest average annual catches were chub mackerel Scomber japonicus, redeye roundherring Etrumeus whiteheadi, ribbonfish Lepidopus caudatus and hake Merluccius spp. Large-fauna bycatch species included sunfish Mola mola as well as a number of CITES II- and IUCN-listed species, such as Cape fur seal Arctocephalus pusillus, dusky shark Carcharhinus obscurus, smooth hammerhead shark Sphyrna zygaena and thresher sharks Alopias spp. The 97.9% observer coverage is high and the 6.9% bycatch rate low compared to other South African fisheries; however, due to the large size of the individual hauls (average of 46.3 t), the average sampling rate of 1.56% is low. Our analyses suggest that bycatch in the South African midwater trawl fishery has been lower than in other South African fisheries and similar fisheries elsewhere, but due to the combination of high catch volumes and low sampling rates, estimation errors for rare species are high and there is a substantial risk of incidental unmonitored bycatch of rare large fauna and aggregations of small fauna. This could be mitigated by spatio-temporal management of this fishery, to avoid fishing in high-risk areas, and the introduction of an electronic monitoring programme.  相似文献   

19.
The first documented recapture of a South African-tagged juvenile blue shark Prionace glauca off Uruguay lends weight to the hypothesis of a single blue shark population in the South Atlantic. The presence of neonate blue sharks with umbilical scars and females with post-parturition scars, as well as the high frequency of small juveniles in research longline catches, confirm the existence of a parturition and nursery area off South Africa. The final positions of three tagged sharks suggest that large-scale movement patterns in the South Atlantic are a mirror image of movements in the North Atlantic, with sharks using the north-westerly Benguela Drift to migrate into the tropics and ultimately across into South American waters. The confirmed existence of a parturition and nursery area off the south coast of South Africa and the movement of sharks into both adjacent ocean basins suggest that the southern African blue sharks are part of a single stock that straddles the South Atlantic and Indian oceans, and possibly the entire Southern Hemisphere.  相似文献   

20.
Public feelings toward sharks are expected to grow negatively following shark bites on humans. Media and government responses are often predicated on this presumptive emotional response; however, there have been no published data on attitudes toward sharks following shark bite incidents. This study shows that levels of “pride” in white shark populations in the absence of an incident remained steady after a shark bite occurred. This was consistent across response areas regarding other marine life and “confidence” in beach safety programs. Results are based on a pilot survey conducted in the Cape Town beach suburbs of Fish Hoek and Muizenberg before and after a shark bite at Fish Hoek beach. The study found no statistical significance between survey responses and the occurrence of the shark bite incident. The results indicate a previously undocumented level of public sophistication following these events. This data challenges the underlying basis of policy responses to shark bites and suggests that new considerations of public knowledge, endemic value and causal narratives should be incorporated into decision making.  相似文献   

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