Fishing in the Rain for Barbel and Perch in the wet season Umzimkulu 2023

#catfish #barbel #perch #umzimkulu

Our guests a short while back rocked in here at the Umzimkulu Marina smack bang in the middle of another outburst by nature. It rained and rained and rained. But when it finally let up, the barbel were eagerly waiting for us at the jetty.

Squid, chicken, sardine...these guys eat anything. And really put up a great fight every time. Sometimes tearing off on the surface, other times doggedly down deep. They also will take a lure but that is highly specialised fishing and something we have yet to take more interest in (Shaun Begg, a provincial angler guest we have here often enough, has promised to show us the way next time he is here).

So the chiefly freshwater breathing barbel come barreling down the river with the flood waters. They happily hang out here in the lower reaches of the estuary, in the completely fresh brown water. Then as we go through another tide cycle, and the strong prevalent east winds join forces with the strong prevailing south current, the brown water plume is whipped away southwards and diluted into the vast ocean down thataway. Allowing the salty blue water to come back into this estuary (it is one of a handful of estuaries that still function and are not completely silted up and closed).

The brown water is alkaline having washed all the way down from the Lesotho Highlands. This alkalinity performs a vital function. It balances the acidity levels of the ocean. Unfortunately, reprehensible farming practises have stripped most of the coastline of it's natural flood-impeding vegetation. And therefore topsoil. Cattle, goats, sheep, chickens - have taken the natural habitat of wild animals and wild vegetation away. We are down to a few ravines, cliffs and valleys that these animals can't get to. It's clearly visible how close these domestic animals get to the edge of cliffs. They destroy it all until it's gone.

Add sugar cane to the mix and we have destroyed our very own coastline. One which was handed to us in a pristine state not even a hundred years ago. All we have achieved in this time, is laying waste to a beautiful land that once was.

All of this bad news, coupled to the completely incapable cadres we have running the show - that pour raw sewage into stormwater drains, rivers and the sea. And can't maintain a thing - and yes, we have a disaster on our hands. Tourism is suffering hard - bookings are way down here in KZN. Since the mismanagement and corruption we have had to deal with has now led to visitors taking ill and going to hospital. Losing limbs. And even their lives. As in Harding recently.

This all manifests in the estuaries. Like a toilet. Which, if not flushed, does exactly what your toilet does, when not flushed. The bacteria responsible for breaking down the effluent, needs oxygen to operate. But because the system is now closed, and no water is flowing through, the limited available oxygen runs out. The bacteria succumbs. If there was a goldfish in the toilet, it would be belly up at this stage. After a week or so, the water starts to go black. And if you go in this water, you are seriously in trouble. When the floods eventually flush the toilet, all this tepid and poisonous water hits the ocean. Your local beach. And you get sick.

* Acknowledgements to Professor Anthony Turton who unbelievably is a professor of all things water and the environment. Thank you Tony, for realigning my misaligned understandings and misunderstandings.

What can we do?

Well we are doing what we can here in Port Shepstone. Many activist groups have recently formed. And are amalgamating. This unifying of forces is starting to produce results. We have a class action law suit against the ANC. We have Afriforum and Sakeliga at the table. Regular meetings have led to a game plan.

If you would like to get involved, check it out at...

independenceca.org

and

greennet.org.za
thesardine.co.za