The fishery for hottentot pachymetopon blochii val. In the South-Western cape

Abstract

A survey of fishing centres and a review of historical literature indicate that methods of linefishing have changed little since the start of this century. Comparisons between the bait, tackle and craft used in the modern fishery with those reported in the past all show minimal functional variation. The effort devoted to general linefishing at the various centres around the coast is estimated and the proportion of hottentot in the catches determined. Total linefishing effort is estimated at 1 415 121 man-hours fished per year. For 1985, the total landings of hottentot were approximately 400 tons and the importance of the species in the total catch was greatest at West Coast centres. Seasonality of catches is determined largely by operational trends in the snoek and rock-lobster fisheries. Values for the natural (M) and total (Z) mortalities of hottentot are estimated at 0,338·year−1 and 0,733·year−1 respectively. On applying a fishing mortality (F) of 0,395·year−1 to the Beverton and Holt yield-per-recruit model, it is established that the current fishing effort does not have much impact on the population size. Options available for managing the resource are discussed. © 1988 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.