Sardine fever brings feeding frenzy

DURBAN -- Hundreds of thousands of hungry sardines began their annual swim to the plankton-rich waters along KwaZulu-Natal's coast this week.

And, eager locals rolled up their trousers, skirts and sleeves and gathered their buckets to greet the tiny fish -- their mid-winter grilled, fried and curried delights.

The arrival of these fish in the shallow waters off beaches in the south of the province, had in just a couple of days netted enough seafood for thousands at towns such as Port Edward, according to eyewitnesses.

Each winter, shoals of sardines or pilchards leave the cold waters off Cape Point at the country's southernmost tip and head for the cool inshore waters along the KwaZulu-Natal coast.

The phenomenon is known as the "Natal sardine run" and its effect on the local population who abandon all else to gather the silvery fish is called "sardine fever".

Sardines are normally found in water cooler than 20 degrees. But, when the surface water temperature on the continental shelf along the province drops in the winter months of June and July, the fish are able to enter the area.

The huge shoals are expected to make an appearance as far north as Durban in the next couple of weeks.

"A lot of people put up the 'gone out for lunch' signs, others call in sick, businessmen roll up their suit pants and wade into the water," said Natal Sharks Board head of research Geremy Cliff.

The thousands of gannets, game fish, dolphins and sharks that feed on the shoals form a sideshow to the run.

The run, according to the board is an important economic event in the province which yielded a particularly high catch of about 70000 tons of sardines last year.

Commercial fishermen harvest the sardines using seine nets, anglers catch predatory fish, like shad, which are attracted by the shoals.

But, literally anyone who can hold a container or a plastic bag hits the water to scoop up their share.

Many are also drawn to the beaches to simply witness the fishing frenzy or in the hope of sighting a shark since the shark nets which line the coast are taken down for the spectacle.

About 50000 tons of sardines and 300000 tons of pilchards are harvested off the country's east coast annually.

Provincial authorities say they want to promote the sardine run as a tourist attraction and already guided tours are available specifically for the "sardine fever" season. -- Sapa-DPA