DURBAN - A red steenbras that was tagged and released in the Tsitsikamma National Park on the South African coastline in September 1996 was recaptured an astounding 25.4 years later offshore of the Kei River Mouth, on January 6 this year.
The Oceanographic Research Institute (ORI) Co-operative Fish Tagging Project said it was their 203rd red steenbras tag recapture and a record for teleost (bony fish) recaptures.
Red steenbras are the largest member of the sea bream family (Sparidae) and are an endemic species found between Sodwana Bay, in KwaZulu-Natal, and Cape Point in the Western Cape.
The institute explained that this fish, was originally tagged at Middlebank, off Storms River, in the Eastern Cape, by Dr Steve Brouwer (then with Rhodes University) during a research tagging field trip in the Tsitsikamma National Park.
The fish originally measured 563mm fork length (FL). It was recaptured an astounding 25.4 years later offshore of the Kei River Mouth by Gary Thompson, on January 6, 2022, with the same tag still intact.
The steenbras measured 1 030mm FL, and had moved about 514km. The institute stated that the tag was supplied by Hallprint Fish Tagging based in Australia.
According to David Hall, managing director of Hallprint, this is the second-longest time a teleost fish from the tagging programmes they supply tags to has been at liberty.
The record is currently held by a southern bluefin tuna tagged off southern Australia that was at liberty for an incredible 9 639 days (26.4 years).
Red steenbras adults are apex predators found on deep rocky reefs at depths of 50-160m. Juveniles are found on shallow inshore reefs (10-50 m) between Cape Point and Kei River Mouth.
They mature at a length of 63cm and an age of seven years. Juveniles are resident on reefs in the WC and southern parts of the EC, however, once they reach maturity adults migrate eastwards towards the Transkei and southern KZN where they remain. They can reach a maximum size of 200cm total length (TL) and a weight of 70kg.
They have been aged up to a maximum of 55 years (we estimate that this particular recapture was about 30 years of age). Unfortunately, this species has been heavily exploited over the past 150 years and the population is now considered to be at less than 5% of their pristine level. For this reason, they have been assessed as endangered on the IUCN Red List and are categorised as Red (do not buy) on the Sassi List.
The current fishing regulations for this species include a daily bag limit of one fish per-person-per-day, a minimum size limit of 60cm TL, as well as a closed season from October 1 to November 30.
According to ORI, red steenbras are decommercialised and may not be sold. Juvenile red steenbras benefit from protection in coastal no-take areas (NTAs) in the Eastern Cape and West Cape such as Addo, Tsitsikamma and Goukamma, while adults’ benefit from protection in NTAs situated in the core areas of their distribution such as within the Pondoland, Dwesa-Cwebe and Amathole Marine Protected Areas.
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