From the Director's desk

SAIAB has enjoyed an active and productive year in 2010.  Some key milestones include the launch of the Ukwabelana and ROV together with the Elwandle Node, in Port Elizabeth, the completion and official opening of the new Margaret Smith Library by the Minister for Science & Technology, and the installation of a state-of-the-art X-Ray inspection system. We moved the library into the new facility. The administration of the SAEON Elwandle Node has been transferred to SAEON head-office in Pretoria. We received funding for the final stage of the renovations of the building – for which the planning is now at an advanced stage, as well as extraordinary funding for IT infrastructure and for large specimen storage bins in the wet collection.  We made significant changes to the management structures including the appointment of Linda Coetzee as our Finance and Operations Manager, and undertook a significant shift in our Communications and Outreach strategy. Our scientists have been very busy with their projects, including field work in interesting areas, and we have practically doubled the number of students in training. Many publications and conference presentations have been made, cruises undertaken for ACEP and ASCLME, and one researcher, Dr Swartz spent four months in New Zealand on a mini-sabbatical. And there is so much more besides. I am grateful to all staff and stakeholders for all of this. The break and rest is well deserved and provides an opportunity to recharge the batteries. This is important because next year promises to be more of the same, if not even more hectic. May you all have a peaceful, safe and happy time.


Professor Paul H Skelton
Managing Director
SAIAB

Caught on camera

Five tips to help you spend wisely this festive season

1. Price Comparisons. The most obvious way to save money on gifts is to compare prices in sales ads and on the internet.

2. Coupons. Several retailers offer discount coupons for a single item or an entire purchase. You can find these online or in a newspaper.

3. Pay with cash. Unless you have a credit card with a really good rewards program, you should avoid using your credit cards for holiday shopping,

4. Don't waste your time or money on gifts for people you don't really want to buy for. This just makes the list unnecessarily long.

5. Very important-if you get a gift you don't like, don't, I repeat DO NOT, open it! If you got a floral dish you don’t particularly like or already have, leave it in its original packaging and re-gift it.

Notice Board December 2010

NRF Values Champions of the months Aug-Nov 2010

From left are Naniswa Nyoka, the October Champion for People-centred; Edlyn Wolhuter, the August Champion for Integrity; Professor Paul Skelton; Nokuzola Zabo, the September Champion for Respect and Penny Haworth, the November Champion for Accountability.

Goodbye…

Unathi Lwana- Biomaterials Officer

Margie Shaw- Head Librarian

Khanyisile Ngomani– DST/NRF Intern

Poogy Reddy– Senior Laboratory Assistant

We wish you the very best in all your future endeavors!

Promotions

  

Ernst Swartz promoted to Senior Scientist

Francois Lamont promoted to Senior Technical Officer

Poogy Reddy promoted to Senior Laboratory Assisstant

World AIDS day 1st December 2010

Since 1988, the world made a pledge to stand together for the fight against HIV/AIDS on the 1st of December each year. World AIDS day is about raising money, increasing awareness, fighting prejudice and improving education around the deadly, incurable virus. SAIAB staff made food, clothes and cash donations to the Jabez AIDS Health Centre in Grahamstown on 1st Deecember.

Fishing for the Future

Mackay Bridge Angling Club: "All Clubs Light Tackle Boat Competition" introduces catch and release fishing methods in its competitions to ensure sustainable fishing

Sport or Recreational Fishing has become increasing popular. Angling clubs across South Africa promote fishing as a sport but how many angling clubs promote sustainable fishing? The Mackay Bridge Angling Club based in Colchester in the Eastern Cape has actively promoted sustainable fishing in recent years by hosting fishing competitions with a catch and release ethic.

South Africa is historically an agricultural nation and has a unique dual agricultural economy with well-developed commercial agricultural practices and more subsistence-based production in the deep rural areas. The Eastern Cape in particular depends to a large extent on agricultural practices for both commercial and subsistence purposes. The Eastern Cape boasts 800km of coastline and numerous inland water bodies providing great opportunities for fisheries. The Eastern Cape is also the most rural and poorest province in South Africa with many citizens living along the coastline and depending on natural resources for subsistence. Therefore, there is a dire need to retain fish stocks not only for utilitarianism reasons, but also for sustainable purposes said Chairman of the Mackay Bridge Angling Club, Chris Tye.

The Mackay Bridge Angling Club hosts an annual fishing competition, the All Clubs Light Tackle Boat Competition. The competition, which takes place over a weekend in August each year, traditionally entailed a weekend- long fishing expedition where winners were judged by the weight of their catch, which included heaviest fish and heaviest bag of fish. However, four years ago when a team of researchers from the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB) in Grahamstown were on a field trip at the Sundays Estuary, the club’s anglers were exposed to catch and release fishing. SAIAB’s Principal Aquatic Biologist, Dr Paul Cowley got involved in the competition in 2006 when he was asked to give a talk on sustainable fishing and introduced anglers to catch and release. Cowley’s research interests lie in the management of declining fishery resources and he specialises in tag and release fishing.

“The Sundays Estuary is one of our tagging study sites and so we expressed an interest to participate in the competition” explained Cowley. The following year, in 2007, the competition started changing its format. Catch and release became a voluntarily aspect to the competition and Cowley and his research team were asked to assist with tagging and releasing fish.

“I have been the chairman for fours years now and realised that the need to bring everything to the scale is no longer valid since we are facing sustainability issues” said Tye. According to Tye, the decision to change the format of the competition is grounded in three main goals. Firstly to promote sustainable fishing, secondly to allow people to catch more than the bag limit allows and then release the fish and finally, the new format allows for a closer relationship working with SAIAB and educating anglers.

The Education component of the programme is held on the first day of the competition which allows for the enjoyment of fishing as a sport and an opportunity for SAIAB to educate anglers said Tye. “We take all our posters, banners and brochures and give a little talk on successful catch and release methods, the importance of conservation and angling techniques” said Cowley. According to Tye, the change in format of the competition was well-received by participants and created much needed awareness around fishing in a sustainable manner. Cowley admits however that in the beginning anglers were still too competitive, “one guy already had four fish on a string and then only called the research team over to tag his fish and obviously the fish were not healthy enough to be tagged so were not considered for the competition”. Karl Kretzman from Kretzmarine, one of the sponsors of the competition believes that catching and releasing fish forces anglers to be more careful with their catch, “we have learned so much from Paul about fish handling and there is a challenge in keeping the fish healthy and unharmed until one of the SAIAB taggers arrive”.

The catch and release event also has prizes to encourage release. Cowley and his research team are on site to ensure that all released fish are livable. The first 25 fish to be caught and successfully released are awarded prizes. If previously released fish are caught again, the angler is awarded R2500, however, this prize remains to be claimed said Tye.

Tye was very pleased with the turnout for this year’s competition which drew 235 anglers and 100 boats. According to Tye, the draw card for this competition is the fact that it is appealing to both the sponsor and the angler who want to be associated with conservation activities.  For this reason, the competition has managed to attract generous sponsors such as Proservices, African Skiff Marine, Colchester Spar, Kretzmarine, Andrè Koen Motors, Addo Affrique Estate, MDB Switchboards and Coega Leisure.

Kretz  Marine started sponsoring the competition four years ago with the initiation of the new format, “We have been pushing to have a catch and release competition because it’s a really nice aspect to the competition” said Kretzman, one of the Managing Directors of Kretzmarine. Alfie Oates, owner of a panel beating shop in Port Elizabeth and avid angler has been a member of the Mackay Bridge Angling Club for 11 years and enjoys catching and releasing “I believe that we have to conserve for the sake of the next generation, I only keep the a catch if I know I am going to eat it”. Proservices Consultant Andre Beneke deems the catch and release format as very successful and is proud to be associated with the competition.

South African fisheries are on the decline and it remains a necessity that all citizens take measures to protect aquatic environments and their resources. The implementation of catch and release competitions provide testimony of the commitment by the Mackay Bridge Angling Club to promote sustainable fisheries. The challenge is to encourage other angling clubs, competition organisers as well as social anglers to practice catch and release and promote responsible recreational fishing.

                                                                               

Know your marine mammals

COASTAL WHALES AND DOLPHINS OF THE EASTERN CAPE:  A GUIDE FOR EVERYONE WITH AN INTEREST IN WHALES AND DOLPHINS

How often do you walk on the beach hoping to see dolphins or whales leap out of the water and into your gaze? It is a fascinating sight and worth capturing on camera. Aquatic Biologist, Dr Stephanie Plön, has put together a 10 page, easy-to-read, waterproof guide for turning your walk on the beach into a whale- or dolphin-watching experience. The guide enables you to identify the different whale and dolphin species commonly encountered along our coastline.

Dr Plön, who is in a joint appointment with the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB), the South African Environmental Observatory Network (SAEON), and Bayworld, is the author of Coastal whales and dolphins of the Eastern Cape, a guide for everyone with an interest in whales and dolphins. Coastal whales and dolphins of the Eastern Cape provides a guide to identifying seven of the most common species of whale and dolphin found in the Eastern Cape waters. The guide includes pictures with comprehensive descriptions of each species, including information on the animals’ distribution, group sizes, and weight and length. For a quick reference to identifying whales and dolphins, the guide also includes whale and dolphin comparison charts.

Dr Plön is currently running a three-year project to determine the seasonal and geographical distribution of cetaceans in Algoa Bay. The Cetacea are one of the most distinctive and specialised orders of mammals and include the largest animal that has ever lived, the blue whale, the highly intelligent and communicative dolphins, and the singing humpback whales - nearly eighty living species in all. This project is funded by Oceans and Coast (formerly Marine and Coastal Management) and SANParks and the guide is a direct product of this project. “SANParks is involved in the project and want to contribute data, but these animals are often difficult to identify at sea if you don’t know what you are looking for,” said Plön on the idea about putting together the guide. The proposed Greater Addo Elephant National Park marine protected area includes the coastal area of Addo Elephant National Park, that stretches between Sundays River Mouth and Bushman’s River Mouth. According to Plön, SANParks have specialised rangers in the marine section.

People very easily identify between the different species of big cats and, Plön adds, “I didn’t realise that people don’t know how to identify whales, so this guide is for everyone with an interest in whales and dolphins, interested divers, sailors and people who walk on the beach hoping to spot a whale.” Dolphin and whale lovers in Algoa Bay can expect to see whales anytime between June and December. However, the Brydes whale on pages 5 and 6 of the guide, which is resident, and dolphins can be seen all year round with a higher seasonality in Summer and Autumn. Coastal whales and dolphins of the Eastern Cape is available at R50 from SAIAB and Bayworld.

Please contact Stephanie Plön at stephani(at)bayworld.co.za or call 041 584 0650