Reproduced for information purposes only. Please make sure you are complying with the latest MLRA regulations at: https://www.daff.gov.za/daffweb3/Branches/Fisheries-Management/Marine-Resource-Management/Recreational-Fishing
Recreational Angling
Species specific regulations applicable to recreational fishers
- The taxa, i.e. genus (denoted “spp.”), family or class mentioned in Table 2 refer to all species in the genus, family or class, as the case may be.
- The size of the fish shall be measured in a straight line from the tip of the snout to the extreme end of the tail.
- All fish that are landed, except sharks, skates, rays and chimaeras (Class Chondrichthyes), must have head and tail intact such that it can be established whether the fish conforms to the minimum size and / or mass, provided that it may be gutted.
- Any fish caught in contravention of the provisions of the Act or the permit conditions must immediately be returned to the sea with as little injury as possible.
- No fish may be sold or offered for sale by the holder of a recreational fishing permit.
- Special note should be taken of the size, bag & area limitations with regards to kob (Argyrosomus spp.)
- Species not mentioned in either of these lists have a bag limit of ten provided that sharks, rays, skates or chimaeras (Class Chondrichthyes) have a bag limit of one and rockcods (Family Serranidae) have a bag limit of five (5).
- There is an overall cumulative daily bag limit of ten (10), irrespective of the species caught and provided that this limit does not apply to those species listed here with no bag limit, and to those with a bag limit exceeding (ten)10.
- There is a closed season for elf / shad (Pomatomus saltatrix) from 1 October to 30 November in any year.
- There is a closed season for galjoen (Dichistius capensis) from 15 October to the last day of February in the following year.
- There is a closed season for red steenbras (Petrus rupestris) from 1 October to 30 November in any year.
- The closed season for Chokka squid (Loligo vulgaris reynaudii): from 12h00 noon on 19 October to 12h00 noon on 30 November in any year.
Table 2: No person (or recreational fisher) may on any one day land or be in possession of more than the species-specific bag limits as indicated in this species list”. Except that a maximum accumulative bag limit of (ten) 10 shall apply (See point 8 above)
| SPECIES LIST | |||
| COMMON NAME | SCIENTIFIC NAME | MINIMUM SIZE/ MASS | BAG LIMITS |
| Anchovies | Family Engraulidae | none | none |
| Baardman (bellman, tasselfish) | Umbrina spp. | 40 cm | 5 |
| Banded galjoen | Dichistius multifasciatus | none | 5 |
| Bank streenbras | Chirodactylus grandis | none | 5 |
| Billfishes (marlin, sailfish) | Family Istiophoridae | none | 5 |
| Blacktail (dassie) | Diplodus sargus capensis | 20 cm | 5 |
| Blue hottentot | Pachymetopon aeneum | none | 5 |
| Bronze bream (bluefish) | Pachymetopon grande | 30 cm | 2 |
| Cape knifejaw | Oplegnathus conwayi | none | 5 |
| Cape stumpnose | Rhabdosargus holubi | 20 cm | 5 |
| Carpenter (silverfish) | Argyrozona argyrozona | 35 cm | 4 |
| Catface rockcod | Epinephelus andersoni | 50 cm | 5 |
| Chub mackerel | Scomber japonicus | none | none |
| Cutlassfish (walla walla) | Trichiurus lepturus | none | none |
| Dageraad | Chrysoblephus cristiceps | 40 cm | 1 |
| Dane | Porcostoma dentata | none | 5 |
| Elf (shad) | Pomatomus saltatrix | 30 cm | 4 |
| Englishman | Chrysoblephus anglicus | 40 cm | 1 |
| Fransmadam (Karel groot oog) | Boopsoidea inornata | none | 10 |
| Galjoen | Dichistius capensis | 35 cm | 2 |
| Garfishes | Family Belonidae | none | none |
| Garrick (leervis) | Lichia amia | 70 cm | 2 |
| Geelbek (Cape salmon) | Atractoscion aequidens | 60 cm | 2 |
| Glassies | Family Ambassidae | none | none |
| Hake (stockfish) | Merluccius spp. | none | 5 |
| Halfbeaks | Family Hemiramphidae | none | none |
| Horse mackerel / maasbanker | Trachurus trachurus capensis | none | none |
| Hottentot | Pachymetopon blochii | 22 cm | 10 |
| John Brown | Gymnocrotaphus curvidens | none | 5 |
| Kingfishes | Caranx spp. and Carangoides spp. | none | 5 |
| Kingklip | Genypterus capensis | none | 1 |
| King mackerel | Scomberomorus commerson | none | 10 |
| Kob caught from a boat at sea [Cape Agulhas to Umtamvuna River] APPLICABLE TO ST SEBASTIAN BAY | Argyrosomus spp. | 50 cm | 5 but may only land or be in possession of 1 kob > 110 cm per day |
| Kob caught from a boat at sea [The Province of KwaZulu-Natal] | Argyrosomus spp. | 40 cm | 5 but may only land or be in possession of 1 kob > 110 cm per day |
| Kob caught in estuaries & from the shore [East of Cape Agulhas only] APPLICABLE TO BREEDE ESTUARY | Argyrosomus spp. | 60 cm | 1 |
| Kob [West of Cape Agulhas only] | Argyrosomus spp. | 50 cm | 5 |
| Large-spot pompano (wave garrick) | Trachinotus botla | none | 5 |
| Leopard cat shark | Poroderma pantherinum | none | 1 |
| Mullets / harders | Family Mugilidae | none | 50 |
| Natal knifejaw (cuckoo bass) | Oplegnathus robinsoni | none | 5 |
| Natal stumpnose (yellowfin bream) | Rhabdosargus sarba | 25 cm | 5 |
| Pinky (piggy) | Pomadasys olivaceum | 7.5 cm | 10 |
| Poenskop (black steenbras or musselcracker) | Cymatoceps nasutus | 50 cm | 1 |
| Queen mackerel | Scomberomorus plurilineatus | none | 10 |
| Ragged tooth shark | Carcharias taurus | none | 1 |
| Red steenbras | Petrus rupestris | 60 cm | 1 |
| Red stumpnose (Miss Lucy) | Chrysoblephus gibbiceps | 30 cm | 1 |
| River bream (perch) | Acanthopagrus perda spp. | 25 cm | 5 |
| River snapper (rock salmon) | Lutjanus argentimaculatus | 40 cm | 5 |
| Roman | Chrysoblephus laticeps | 30 cm | 2 |
| Santer (soldier) | Cheimerius nufar | 30 cm | 5 |
| Sardines (pilchard & red-eye) | Family Clupeidae | none | none |
| Sauries | Family Scomberesocidae | none | none |
| Scads | Decapterus spp. | none | none |
| Scotsman | Polysteganus praeorbitalis | 40 cm | 1 |
| Slinger | Chrysoblephus puniceus | 25 cm | 5 |
| Snoek (Cape snoek) | Thyrsites atun | 60 cm | 10 |
| Southern pompano | Trachinotus africanus | none | 5 |
| Spotted grunter (tiger) | Pomadasys commersonnii | 40 cm | 5 |
| Spotted gulley shark | Triakis megalopterus | none | 1 |
| Springer (ten pounder) | Elops machnata | none | 5 |
| Steentjie | Spondyliosoma emarginatum | none | 10 |
| Stonebream | Neoscorpis lithophilus | none | 5 |
| Strepie (karanteen) | Sarpa salpa | 15 cm | 10 |
| Striped cat shark | Poroderma africanum | none | 1 |
| Swordfish (broadbill) | Xiphias gladius | 25 kg | 5 |
| Squid (Chokka) | Loligo vulgarus reynaudii | none | 20 |
| Tunas (tunny) | Thunnus spp. | none | 10 |
| Albacore / longfin tuna | Thunnus alalunga | none | 10 |
| Bigeye tuna | Thunnus obesus | 3.2 kg | 10 |
| Bluefin tuna | Thunnus maccoyii | 6.4 kg | 10 |
| Yellowfin tuna | Thunnus albacares | 3.2 kg | 10 |
| West coast steenbras | Lithognathus aureti | 60 cm | 1 |
| White edged (Captain Fine) rockcod | Epinephelus albomarginatus | 40 cm | 5 |
| White musselcracker (brusher, cracker) | Sparodon durbanensis | 60 cm | 2 |
| White steenbras (pignose grunter) | Lithognathus lithognathus | 60 cm | 1 |
| White stumpnose | Rhabdosargus globicebs | 25 cm | 10 |
| Wolfherring | Chirocentrus dorab | none | none |
| Yellowbelly rockcod | Epinephelus marginatus | 60 cm | 1 |
| Yellowtail | Seriola lalandi | none | 10 |
| Zebra (wildeperd) | Diplodus cervinus hottentotus | 30 cm | 5 |
Shellfish and Bait Organisms
Table 5: No person shall engage in fishing and collecting shellfish (Classes: Gastropoda-sea snails, Bivalvia-mussels, clams and scallops, Polyplacophora-chitons and Scaphopoda-tusk shells) between sunset on one day and sunrise on the following day
| SPECIES | COMMON NAME | MAXIMUM PER DAY | MINIMUM SIZE | COLLECTION METHOD |
| Turbo sarmaticus | Alikreukel | 5 | 63.5 mm | Only by hand |
| All species of the class Polyplacophora | Chiton / armadillo | 6 | Only by hand | |
| All species of the genus Arenicola | Bloodworm | 5 | Only by hand, suction pump and/or wire | |
| All species of the genus Mactra | Clam | 8 | Only by hand | |
| All species of the sections Brachyura & Anomura excluding Scylla serrata, Hippa adactyla & Emerita austroafricana | Crabs & hermit crabs excluding mud crabs and mole crabs | 15 | Only by hand, rod and/or line | |
| All species of the genus Sepia | Cuttlefish | 2 | By hand or line | |
| All species of the family Patellidae | Limpets | 15 | Only by hand or with an implement with a blade or flat edge not exceeding 12 mm in width | |
| Hippa adactyla & Emerita austroafricana | Mole crab | 30 | By hand or triangular trap | |
| Scylla serrata | Mud crab | 6 | 140 mm measured across the broadest part of the carapace (back) | Only by hand, rod and/or line. No crab in berry may be kept |
| All species of the subfamily Octopodinae | Octopus | 2 | Only by hand, rod and/or line, gaff | |
| All species of the genera Littorina, Oxystele & Turbo excluding Turbo sarmaticus | Periwinkle / topshell/ turbanshell excluding alikreukel | 50 | Only by hand | |
| All marine species of the phyla Platyhelminthes, Nemertea, Sipunculida and Annelida, but excluding the genera Arenicola, Nereis, Pseudonereis and Gunnarea | Any seaworm, including polychaete, wonder shingle, moonshine, coral, pot, pudding, rock, tape & flatworms but excluding bloodworms, mussel worms and Cape reef-worms | 10 | Only by hand or suction pump | |
| All species of the genus Solen | Razor clam, pencil bait | 20 | Only by hand, suction pump and/or wire | |
| All species of the genus Pyura | Red bait | 2 kg without the test (shell) | Only by hand or with an implement with a blade or flat edge not exceeding 12 mm in width | |
| All species of the genera Aulacomya, Mytilus, Choromytilus and Perna | Rock, black, brown & ribbed mussels | 30 | Only by hand or with an implement with a blade or flat edge not exceeding 12 mm in width | |
| All species of the genus Upogebia | Mud prawn | 50 | Only by hand, suction pump or inverted tin | |
| All species of the genus Callianassa | Sand prawn | 50 | Only by hand or suction pump | |
| All species of the family Penaeidae | Swimming prawns | 50 | Only by hand or hand-held scoop net or trap not measuring more than 50 cm X 50 cm | |
| All species of the genus Pecten | Scallop | 10 | Only by hand | |
| All species of the class Holothuroidea | Sea cucumbers | 20 | Only by hand | |
| All species of the class Echinoidea excluding the genus Echinodiscus | Sea urchins excluding live pansy shells | 20 | Only by hand | |
| Donax serra | White mussel / wedge shell | 50 | 35 mm | Only by hand or with an implement with a blade or flat edge not exceeding 12 mm in width |
| All species of the genera Pinctada, Striostrea, Ostrea & Saccostrea | Oysters | 25 | Only by hand or with an implement with a blade or flat edge not exceeding 40 mm and not less than 1 m in length | |
| All species of the genera Loligo & Thysanoteuthis | Squid, chokka | 20 | Only by rod and/or line |