Climate change hits home

2007-05-08 15:17

Cape Town - Global warming is a cold reality for unemployed West Coast fishermen, out of work because the fish they used to catch have migrated south, Parliament's environmental affairs portfolio committee heard on Tuesday.

Speaking at the start of public hearings on transformation in South Africa's multibillion-rand fishing industry, Environmental Affairs Deputy Director-General Monde Mayekiso said there were indications a big drop in the region's fish stocks was due to climate change.

"As far as the migration of lobsters and pilchards is concerned, scientists have not categorically stated it is caused by climate change, but we do note that the reduction of fish along the West Coast... has been associated with extraordinary warmer water.

"So even though they do not say this is caused by climate change, there happens to be this coincidence between the downward trend of the fish and an increase in the water temperature, which suggests that it could be climate change."

Mayekiso told the hearing fish species on the West Coast were migrating south in large numbers.

"If you look at West Coast rock lobster, you find that 30 years ago, 70% of (the species) was caught in the region of Port Nolloth. Now, however, 90%... is caught in the area between Dassen Island and Cape Point.

"The point I'm making is in the past 30 years, there has been a shift or migration of West Coast rock lobster southwards. There is little available now in the area... of Port Nolloth."

A similar migration southwards had occurred with pilchard stocks.

"In 1994, just more than 60% of pilchards were caught along the West Coast, and the (balance) along the south-east coast, in the region of Mossel Bay.

"But the figures for 2005 show more than 90% of pilchards are now caught and landed along the south-east coast, and less than 10% is found on the West Coast."

The result was along the West Coast catches were lower and jobs fewer.

"It is a fact that economic activity due to fishing has diminished along the West Coast, and fishing being an employment of last resort, we now find that along the West Coast unemployment is rife," Mayekiso said.

- SAPA