SA RECREATIONAL FISHING REGULATIONS
South Africa's Fishing Regulations and Fishing permits required, including permitted bag and size limits, permitted bait collection, boat fishing, rod and reel fishing, spearfishing, cast nets, closed season for fishing, permitted species in KZN South Africa, minimum fish sizes, prohibited species in KwaZulu-Natal South Coast
RECREATIONAL FISHING PERMITS
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Be it bait collection, rod & reel fishing, boat fishing, spearfishing, or cast-netting, each fishing activity requires the correct permit which are available at any local Post Office.
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Note that boat skipper, spearfishing and cast net permits must be specially endorsed for their particular activity.
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The standard permit is fine for rod & reel fishing.
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Permits are issued in the holder’s name and are not transferable.
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Permits must be available for inspection at the time the activity is taking place.
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No permit is valid for species during their closed seasons, or for the listed prohibited species.
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No recreational permit holder is allowed to sell any part of their catch.
BOAT FISHING
- This covers any form of free-floating vessel or object, including paddle- and jet-skis.
- All bag and size limits and closed seasons that apply to recreational anglers also apply for boat fishing.
- Boat owners to note they must launch only from legal KZN South Coast launch sites and that driving on any beach can result in the impounding of the boat and motor vehicle. Check with the nearest ski boat club for directions to the nearest one to where you stay.
SPEARFISHING
- Spearfishing is not allowed in harbours, estuaries, or tidal rivers and lagoons.
- All bag and size limits and closed seasons that apply to recreational anglers also apply for spearfishing.
CAST NET
- Circular nets must not exceed 6 metres in diameter and may only be weighted at the circumference.
- You may not cast your net between sunset and sunrise.
- Cast net permit holders may only catch and be in possession of the stipulated cast net species.
CLOSED SEASONS
- Shad/Elf: 1st October – 30th November
- Red Steenbras: 1st October – 30th November
- Galjoen: 15th October – Last day of February
LANDING FISH
- A gaff or landing net are the only additional equipment permitted for landing fish caught on rod and line.
- While they may be gutted, all landed fish must retain their heads and tails for size confirmation in the event of inspection.
GENERAL REGULATIONS
- Other than a facemask and snorkel, no person shall use any artificial breathing apparatus for fishing.
- No person shall engage in fishing, collection or disturbance of any fish by means of a gaff, spear, club, flail, stick, stone or similar instruments, although with the right permit one may spear up to five sole per day.
- Except when fishing for octopus, cuttlefish or squid, no person shall engage in fishing by the jerking of a hook or jig in the sea.
- No person shall disturb, catch or kill dolphins or whales and must not approach closer than 300 metres from whales.
- Unless in possession of the correct permit, no person shall engage in the collection or removal of any aquatic plants, shells or shell grit from the sea or seashore.
PROHIBITED SPECIES
- Basking Shark
- Brindle Bass
- Coelacanth
- Great White Shark
Natal Wrasse - Pipefish
- Potato Bass
- Saw Fish
- Sea Horse
Seventy Four - Whale Shark
PERMITTED CAST NET SPECIES BAG & SIZE LIMITS
Anchovies MIN. SIZE none BAG LIMIT none
Chub Mackerel MIN. SIZE none BAG LIMIT none
Glassies MIN. SIZE none BAG LIMIT none none
Halfbeaks MIN. SIZE none BAG LIMIT none
Horse Mackerel (Maasbanker) MIN. SIZE none BAG LIMIT none
Mullet (Harders) MIN. SIZE none BAG LIMIT 50
Pinky MIN. SIZE 7.5 cm BAG LIMIT 10
Sardines/Pilchards MIN. SIZE none BAG LIMIT none
Sauries MIN. SIZE none BAG LIMIT none
Scads MIN. SIZE none BAG LIMIT none
Karanteen MIN. SIZE15 cm BAG LIMIT 10
PERMITTED SPECIES BAG & SIZE LIMITS
IMPORTANT: Excluding those species with no bag limit and those species with bag limits of over ten, no one person is allowed a total of more than 10 fish of other species per day –note also that species not listed do form part of your full daily bag limit.
Size is determined by measuring the fish from the tip of its snout to the extreme end of its tail and * denotes those species effected by closed seasons.
NOTE: Species’ sizes and bag limits may vary from time to time, so be sure to obtain a current list when obtaining your permit/s.
COMMON NAME |
MIN. SIZE |
BAG LIMIT |
Anchovies |
none |
none |
Baardman (Tasselfish, Bellman) |
40 cm |
5 |
Banded Galjoen |
none |
5 |
Bill Fish (Marlin/Sailfish) |
none |
5 |
Blacktail |
20 cm |
5 |
Blue Hottentot |
none |
5 |
Bronze Bream |
30 cm |
2 |
Cape Knifejaw |
none |
5 |
Cape Stumpnose |
20 cm |
5 |
Carpenter (Silverfish) |
35 cm |
4 |
Catface Rockcod |
50 cm |
5 |
Chub Mackerel |
none |
none |
Cutlassfish (Walla-walla) |
none |
none |
Dageraad |
40 cm |
1 |
Dane |
none |
5 |
Englishman |
40 cm |
1 |
Fransmadam |
none |
10 |
Galjoen* |
35 cm |
2 |
Garfish |
none |
none |
Garrick (Leervis) |
70 cm |
2 |
Geelbek (Cape Salmon) |
60 cm |
2 |
Glassies |
none |
none |
Hake |
none |
5 |
Halfbeaks |
none |
none |
Horse Mackerel (Maasbankers) |
none |
none |
Hottentot |
22 cm |
10 |
John Brown |
none |
5 |
Kingfish |
none |
5 |
Kingklip |
none |
1 |
King Mackerel (‘Couta) |
none |
10 |
Kob (caught from boat off KZN) |
40 cm |
5- only 1 may exceed 110 cm |
Kob (caught from shore/estuary/harbour) |
60 cm |
1 |
Karanteen |
15 cm |
10 |
Large spot Pompano (Wave Garrick) |
none |
5 |
Leopardcat Shark |
none |
1 |
Mullet (Harder) |
none |
50 |
Natal Knifejaw |
none |
5 |
Natal Stumpnose (Yellowfin Bream) |
25 cm |
5 |
Pinky |
7,5 cm |
10 |
Poenskop (Black Musselcracker) |
50 cm |
1 |
Queen Mackerel (Natal Snoek) |
none |
10 |
Raggedtooth Shark |
none |
1 |
Red Steenbras* (Copper Steenbras) |
60 cm |
1 |
Red Stumpnose (Miss Lucy) |
30 cm |
1 |
River Bream (Perch) |
25 cm |
5 |
River Snapper (River Salmon) |
40 cm |
5 |
Roman |
30 cm |
2 |
Soldier (Santer) |
30 cm |
5 |
Shad (Elf)* |
30 cm |
4 |
Sardines (Pilchards & Red Eye) |
none |
none |
Sauries |
none |
none |
Scads |
none |
none |
Scotsman |
40 cm |
1 |
Slinger |
25 cm |
5 |
Snoek (Cape Snoek) |
60 cm |
10 |
Southern Pompano |
none |
5 |
Spotted Grunter |
40 cm |
5 |
Spotted Gully Shark |
none |
1 |
Springer |
none |
5 |
Steentjie |
none |
10 |
Stone Bream |
none |
5 |
Striped Cat Shark |
none |
1 |
Swordfish |
25 kg |
5 |
Squid (Chokka) |
none |
20 |
Tuna (Tunny) |
none |
10 |
Tuna – Longfin (Albacore) |
none |
10 |
Tuna – Big Eye |
3,2 kg |
10 |
Tuna - Bluefin |
6,4 kg |
10 |
Tuna - Yellowfin |
3,2 kg |
10 |
West Coast Steenbras |
60 cm |
1 |
White Edge Rock Cod (Captain Fine) |
40 cm |
5 |
White Musselcracker (Brusher, Cracker) |
60 cm |
2 |
White Steenbras (Pignose Grunter) |
60 cm |
1 |
White Stumpnose |
25 cm |
10 |
Wolfherring |
none |
none |
Yellowbelly Rock Cod |
60 cm |
1 |
Yellowtail |
none |
10 |
Zebra |
30 cm |
5 |
