Illegal anglers caught as shad season hits KwaZulu‑Natal coast

Anglers repeatedly flout bag and size limits as shad arrive

Increasing numbers of shad along the KwaZulu‑Natal coast have coincided with a rise in law enforcement activity after authorities and volunteer groups found many anglers keeping undersized juvenile shad and exceeding daily bag limits.

Who is policing the coastline?

The Coastal Marine Task Force (CMTF), a volunteer organisation supporting environmental stakeholders, says it has observed widespread non‑compliance with regulations that limit anglers to four fish per person with a minimum total length of 30cm.

Enforcement and penalties

Offenders are being issued spot fines or arrested and may face criminal prosecution. The CMTF emphasised that it does not create laws but works to educate and enforce existing regulations alongside other stakeholders.

“The CMTF does not create laws. We exist merely to educate and enforce the laws where applicable, along with other relevant stakeholders.”

Motives and patterns observed

The CMTF said its operations revealed a range of justifications offered by offenders, from poverty to claims about fuel costs and ocean ownership. The task force also reported encounters with people using high‑value equipment and luxury vehicles who committed the same transgressions.

Broader enforcement work

The CMTF works with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Durban Metro Police, eThekwini Municipality Coastal Aquatic Safety and Law Enforcement, Lifesaving South Africa and a network of informants along the coastline.

The task force listed recent successes including controlling illegal gill‑netting in rivers, policing beach fishing in marine protected areas, dismantling operations targeting East Coast rock lobster and enforcing rules for recreational line fishing from beaches.

“We do not make the laws. They are there for very good reason and, at the end of the day, a species such as shad is being overexploited and needs protection from angling pressure.”

Community cooperation and intelligence

The CMTF said it has won support from many recreational anglers frustrated by illegal plundering. These recreational anglers have become a significant source of intelligence on hotspots and the identity of guilty parties after being treated equally and with respect by the task force, the organisation said.

Lengthy observation and enforcement operations by the CMTF underpin their claims about offender profiles and the need for continued enforcement to protect shad populations.