Biomass survey stalls as SAS Africana remains in Simon's Town

While the navy undertook that SAS Africana would resume its biomass survey of South Africa's small pelagic fishery by the end of last week, WWF-South Africa scientists seconded to the survey confirmed on Monday that the ship had not left Simon's Town, according to BDLive.

There is concern that if the survey is not completed it could reduce the total allowable catch for the fishery - sardine, anchovy and pilchard - by 50% for at least six months, and put about 2,000 of the fishery's total of 15,000 jobs on the line, BDLive reports.

African National Congress (ANC) MP Meriam Phaliso on Monday congratulated the navy for swiftly repairing the ship and getting it back to sea, without apparently checking if SAS Africana had in fact left Simon's Town.

The survey is one of two required each year by law to set the total allowable catch for South Africa's second-largest total catch by volume. According to BDLive, the survey needed to be done by December 14 as the results had to be analysed and a total allowable catch set by December 23.

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