Crayfish back on menu

2007-11-13 17:24

Cape Town - The season for West Coast rock lobster, also called crayfish, will open this week, Environment Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk announced on Tuesday.

"The new season for recreational fishing of West Coast rock lobster will open on November 15... and will close on April 15 next year," he said in a statement.

From Thursday this week to the end of the year, fishing would be allowed every day of the week, "but from January 1 to April 15, fishing would be restricted to weekends and public holidays only".

The bag limit for recreational fishers was four lobsters a person a day.

The legal limit for a crayfish is a carapace length greater than 80mm, measured from the tip of the 'horn' at the top, to the base of the carapace.

Fishing times were from 08:00 to 16:00.

Van Schalkwyk also announced a reduction in the total allowable commercial catch of West Coast rock lobster, from 2 857 tons last year to 2 571 tons.

- SAPA