Latest news with #KwaZulu-NatalSharksBoard
The Citizen
5 days ago
- Climate
- The Citizen
Sardines hit KZN waters
It's a little earlier than expected, but the sardines have arrived. The first shoal was netted at Port Edward last Saturday – it was reported that the first netting garnered about 50 crates and the second 30 crates. Twenty one sharks caught in one of the nets were successfully released into the ocean. However, seine netters missed a third shoal. Also, the silver fish were caught at Sandspit in Port Shepstone and Pumula on Sunday. Now that the sardines have arrived, hopefully, fishing will be good. Luke Whittle caught a musselcracker at Port Edward last week. He decided to go fishing after work and put out a full mackerel, and within 15 minutes he was in luck. At first, he thought it was a shark because of the head shakes, but was blessed with a muscle cracker. 'I have never seen one in real life, so it was definitely the catch of a lifetime,' he said. Stompie Koekemoer from KZN Fishing Guides said with the big south westly winds predicted, sea conditions won't be good this week. 'We are expecting some big waves, so it won't be easy for those fishing off the surf and rocks.' Wayne Harrison from the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board said with all the sardine activity, swimming is banned between Port Edward and Isipingo beaches. Tide times: Saturday, June 7: Low 07:30, High 13:33, Low 19:31, High 01:47, best fishing 02:19 to 03:21. Sunday, June 8: Low 08:07, High 14:12, Low 20:11, High 02:00, best fishing 14:44 to 15:46. Monday, June 9: High 02:24, Low 08:42, High 14:48, Low 20:48, best fishing 15:20 to 16:22. Tuesday, June 10: High 02:59, Low 09:16, High 15:24, Low 21:24, best fishing 14:52 to 15:56. Wednesday, June 11: High 03:33, Low 09:49, High 15:58, Low 22:00, best fishing 15:26 to 16:30. Remember, responsible fishing is keeping the shoreline as clean as possible and abiding by the bag limits. Send news or photos to sugann@ HAVE YOUR SAY Like the South Coast Herald's Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The South African
6 days ago
- General
- The South African
Sardine run: 25 KZN beaches currently closed for swimming
With the 2025 sardine run already underway, the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board (KZNSB) revealed that they have removed shark safety nets from the waters at 25 beaches along the south coast. The Sharks Board said that that melee of predators accompanying the sardine shoals was problematic, not just to the sardines but also to the Board itself. 'The shark nets that provide bather protection along the beaches take a heavy toll of sharks and dolphins if they are not lifted before the arrival of the Sardine Run,' it said, as per Business Tech. The eThekwini Municipality also announced on Monday, 2 June, that the public was now prohibited from swimming on KwaZulu-Natal's south coast beaches, due to the shark nets being removed. These beaches include: Isipingo Beach Amanzimtoti Beach Warners Beach Winkelspruit Karridene Umgababa Scottburgh Hibberdene Umzumbe Banana Beach Sunwich Port South Port Umtetweni St Micheals On Sea Uvongo Margate Ramsgate Southbroom Kent Bay Umkobi San Lameer Trafalgar Glenmore Leisure Bay To Strand Port Edward Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
04-06-2025
- General
- IOL News
Increased shark activity prompts warnings as the Sardine Run returns to KwaZulu-Natal
Fishermen in Warner Beach netted several crates of sardines on Tuesday morning. Image: Doctor Ngcobo / Independent Newspapers As the famous Sardine Run makes its annual return to the shores of KwaZulu-Natal, so does a significant increase in shark activity, as evidenced by footage from a netting on Saturday. The video shows numerous sharks entangled with the sardines. 'This is a typical illustration of the increased shark activity witnessed during the sardine run. This is a reason why it is essential for us to remove our shark safety gear during this time,' the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board (KZNSB) said. 'We remind residents and visitors that our shark safety gear has been removed from the South Coast beaches of KZN, from Isipingo to Port Edward, and warn against swimming in those beaches.' The Sharks Board added a disclaimer that the nets do not belong to them. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading Lifesaving South Africa urged beachgoers and ocean users along the KZN coastline to stay updated with local municipal notices regarding beach closures. Lifesaving SA President Dhaya Sewduth explained that in winter, KZN beaches are lifeguarded due to warm and sunny conditions. However, the influx of sardines from the lower South Coast has led to several beaches being closed due to heightened ocean risks. This includes removing shark nets, leaving beachgoers more vulnerable. Due to the removal of shark nets, the eThekwini Municipality has banned swimming at all southern beaches until further notice, effective Monday. The Ray Nkonyeni Municipality also closed its beaches, except Port Edward. 'When beaches are closed, no designated bathing zones will be marked, and it is crucial that beachgoers remain out of the ocean,' Sewduth warned. 'Strong swells are affecting the lower South Coast, and rip currents, which are common in this region, pose a significant danger to swimmers. 'We urge everyone to respect these closures and prioritise safety for themselves and others.' Fishermen in Warner Beach netted several crates of sardines on Tuesday morning. Image: Doctor Ngcobo / Independent Newspapers Over the weekend, KZNSB teams launched and neutralised the gear from Port Edward in the south through to Scottburgh. On Monday, the gear was neutralised through to and including Isipingo. KZNSB's Wayne Harrison said netters were successful at Pennington and Rocky Bay on Monday morning. Harrison said netting took place at Sandspit (Umzimkulu River) on Sunday. Heavy surf and challenging conditions allowed for the recovery of only slightly over 40 sardine crates; the remainder, along with sharks in the net, were released back into the ocean. By mid-morning, the shoals had moved to the Banana Beach/Pumula area, where the sein netters attempted to net. 'The sardines once again were followed by masses of sharks that were regularly seen breaching and feeding on the sardines,' Harrison said. At dawn on Saturday, sardine shoals were reported at Port Edward. Despite rough 2.5m+ seas and a strong swell, two successful seine net catches were made in the morning.
