YWG Newsletters

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Hi Guys,

Here is the latest news letter from Peter Ardene.

YWG Newsletter
July 2008

Dear All,

Apologies – still no Proceedings for the 2008 conference as we are awaiting a number of presentations from the Western Cape. At this stage it looks as if the final document will only be available by mid-August. This is a pity as some of the presenters sent in their talks very promptly. If there is a presentation you are looking for urgently I might have it available already and can email it to you. Just drop me a line.

In the meantime for the 2009 conference we have booked Sterkfontein Dam from Friday evening March 6th to Sunday morning March 8th. The reason for choosing this venue in 2009 is that it is relatively cheap, gives the fellows in KZN and the east an accessible venue and has very good fly fishing. In fact early March is still prime time for fishing which is one of the reasons we booked so early. Depending on how food prices move between now and March the cost per delegate for accommodation and catering will be in the region of R450.


Other News:

1. Judging by a fresh batch of letters in the flyfishing magazines the possible use of rotenone to remove alien and invasive species in the Cederberg area remains an issue of great concern. By now some of our readers will have attended the public review meetings in the Western Cape area for the draft scoping report. Alternatively you may visit Enviro-Fish Africa’s website at http://www.envirofishafrica.co.za to download a copy. Hopefully once we have been through this process the emotional response from some anglers will have cooled. At least let us hope so. If rotenone is used it will be on relatively short sections of river and in the case of the Kromme (Cederberg) it will be to target not only the trout but also bluegill and largemouth bass. Although the rock catlet is of concern to CapeNature it is fortunately a nocturnal fish and therefore less threatened than the redfin minnows which are on the endangered and critically endangered list and require refugia such as the Kromme if they are not to become extinct. From what I understand rotenone is one of the safest pesticides and it breaks down very rapidly in the environment. Moreover this project should not be seen as a sinister move, which if successful, will be extended further south to the recognised trout streams of the Boland. In fact if you think about it is just not feasible to exterminate trout in a system such as the Smallblaar/Molenaars. The draft scoping report is only the first step in the approval process but I hope that the YWG will keep abreast of the developments and support this very worthy project.

2. It is sad to report that the Magalies is under further threat. During the 2007 drought the river was reduced to a trickle due to over-abstraction by centre pivot irrigation from the main aquifer in the Tarlton area. In fact the once famous fountains at Maloneys Eye virtually ceased to flow. The result was a dramatic loss of breeding stock as predators and illegal netters were able to target the larger yellows and the small fish had to retreat to the deeper pools where they were decimated by bass. In addition reduced water flow and algal growth resulted in further loss of indigenous fish while the less vulnerable carp survived. This year a developer has caused further havoc by diverting the river near the source, and hacking out a considerable amount of pristine vegetation in the riparian zone. Siya Buthelezi of GDACE and Wayne Sinclair of Barbus Haven are monitoring the situation and hopefully these illegal practices will be halted. The Magalies is one of the last strongholds of our smallscale and largescale yellows which have virtually disappeared in the Pretoria area where 10 years ago they were numerous. They also received a serious knock in the Blaaubankspruit (upper Crocodile) when the Krugersdorp sewage plant overflowed into the stream for extended periods.

3. I have received from Senkosi Consulting the Comment Sheet and Background Information document for stakeholders of a study commissioned by DWAF. This is for a project called ‘The Development of planning capacity for fresh water conservation in the Upper, Middle and Lower Vaal management areas. I note that Hermien Roux of NWDACE has already responded and raised some pertinent points. These include the fact that one should be able to integrate this plan with previous or further studies such as the conservation plans undertaken by the CSIR and SANBI and therefore the conservation planning experts at these institutions should first be consulted. She also mentions other shortcomings in the study such as a detailed ecological reserve study not being a priority for this report. If you need copies of the Comment Sheet and BID please let me know and I will forward.

4. I hear from the Northern Cape that a miner has put in an application to dredge the lower Vaal and Riet plus the Orange for diamonds. Tremendous damage has already been done to lower Vaal by this type of mining so this is hardly a welcome piece of news. John Southey, representing the Orange Vaal Users Association and the Douglas Conservancy, who has already done battle with a number of miners is leading the opposition. He says that at the first stakeholders meeting the miners’ agent packed the hall with supporters including an “expert” who tried to minimise the damage that would be done. We wish John Southey every success in this new challenge.

5. A bit of good news at last! According to Chris Williams the proposed Aloe Falls resort at Badplaas on the Seekoeispruit will not be going ahead. This is a very fine stream with a good population of small and largescale and it serves as an important breeding area for the Komati system below the Vygeboom Dam.


Regards,
Peter
011-8823051

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YWG Newsletter
August 2008

Dear All,

Flyfishing has been in the newspapers recently. An example is The Sunday Times of August 3 which featured an article titled “Multimillion-rand trout industry on the line” and which mentioned the effect that the proposed regulations on alien and invasive species (in terms of NEM:BA) would have on the industry if no exemptions were granted. FOSAF’s environmental sub-committee is fairly optimistic that its proposals will be taken into consideration when the regulations are finalised and that a win-win outcome is in sight. This will result in improved protection for our threatened indigenous species while taking into consideration the needs of the trout industry. What some of the officials in DEAT possibly did not recognise when drafting the regulations was that trout is not a multimillion but a multibillion Rand industry. To update yourself on the very lengthy and comprehensive negotiations on this matter between FOSAF’s environmental sub-committee and DEAT go to our website at www.fosaf.co.za where there is a special block titled NEM:BA at the top of the main page.

Another matter that continues to feature in the media is the possible use of a piscicide in a study, which is part of the Greater Cederberg Corridor Biodiversity Programme. Below is a statement by our chairman on this project. Please note that this letter has been first circulated to the YWG Executive Committee and therefore has its approval.


Dear YWG members,

As you may be aware there is a huge debate going on around the possible rotenoning of three Western Cape and one Eastern Cape stream. Some of you might have seen the very poorly constructed article in Weekender (Business Day) that made certain unscientific claims about how the trout are controlling bass numbers and includes other generally ill-informed ecological innuendoes about the purposes of the project. In fact, most of what is being printed and discussed in the tackle shops make the same inaccurate and sensationalised statements about the purpose of the project and the use of rotenone.

First, I have been assured by CapeNature officials that this project is not about the eradication of trout and other alien fishes but is more about river conservation, river rehabilitation and creating refuges for already threatened yellowfish and other endangered indigenous species.

Our understanding is that three streams in the Cederberg (Krom, Rondegat, Suurvlei) and one in the Eastern Cape (upper Krom River, Joubertina) have been selected for rehabilitation. This is a pilot project and the element of risk must not be ignored. The targeted streams hold alien species, most hold bass (mainly smallmouth), some bluegill and even illegally translocated Cape kurper while one stream also has some small rainbow trout. Because the Cape kurper come from other parts of the Western Cape, that does not make them endemic to this system and therefore they carry the same status as bass and trout – invasive alien to that area. The intention is to remove invasive alien fishes from these priority indigenous fish waters in order to reintroduce or provide more living space to locally occurring indigenous fishes, including yellowfish (clanwilliams & sawfin) which occur in two of the rivers. Habitat of all of these is becoming extremely limited and the importance of refuges like this is far more important to the ecology of these rivers than the existing and highly marginal angling opportunities for alien fishes on offer. However, if the project is successful one or more of these streams might become a small stream angling spot for these indigenous species and this might outweigh the economic advantages currently enjoyed by a few anglers who now benefit from fishing these streams. This is not the objective of the project, which is river rehabilitation, but a possible and positive spin-off.

As mentioned earlier there is an element of risk and this is mainly because of the possible use of piscicides (rotenone). The piscicide has been used as a management tool for eradicating alien fishes in the United States in an effort to rehabilitate a number of trout streams. They too have harmed their river ecology and the genetic integrity of their trout by unwise alien fish introductions and are now undertaking to rehabilitate them by re-introducing the beautiful native trout that used to occur in those particular river systems. Apparently the secret lies in the uses of dosages, as fish species are susceptible to different concentrations of the piscicide. Trout and bass are amongst the most sensitive species. At the proposed dosages required to kill trout and bass, it is highly unlikely that the chemical will kill everything in the stream. Experience from the USA suggests that many aquatic invertebrates could survive a trout or bass specific treatment. The fish can be reintroduced and those who know rivers will know that the invertebrates will re-colonise the stream naturally if the system is left alone to recover by itself. With management intervention, and the correct use of dosages, this process will be speeded up. It would appear that successful applications depends very much on well trained personnel who will be responsible for the dosages.

In the light of current information the YWG would not like be seen to be defending any particular position which is for, or against, the use of piscicide and will wait for the outcome of the EIA. We would like to support good conservation biology methodology and trust CapeNature will abide by the recommendations that result from the EIA. The scoping study and subsequent EIA should highlight all the risks and remedial methods which will determine how the rehabilitation of the target stream will be managed.

We support the conservation objectives of CapeNature and their efforts to rehabilitate the four target streams that fall within or near protected areas. This is good practice and we understand this is part of CapeNature's Provincial mandate to conserve the natural biodiversity of the Western Cape. It should also be mentioned that this project is only one component of the very ambitious Greater Cederberg Corridor Biodiversity Programme which aims to rehabilitate the whole area and not only the rivers.

We also note with appreciation the recent agreement signed between CapeNature and the Cape Piscatorial Society, which secures trout fishing in the premier trout streams of the south-western Cape. Several of the streams are on nature reserves, and CapeNature has shown its ability to recognise the importance of trout angling in the province, even within its protected areas, whilst committed to saving the unique and highly threatened fishes that the Western Cape has.


The YWG is not against trout, bass or bluegill but these are alien specifies that have had a negative ecological impact on these sensitive environments identified by fish conservation experts. While the economic and commercial importance of sport angling in the country is appreciated, these four systems that are being rehabilitated are not important from that perspective. Where there are projects that aim to conserve biodiversity, alien species cannot take precedence. It is our understanding that these projects are not about trout or bass eradication but the rehabilitation of extremely important catchments areas.

Regards

Peter Mills
Chairman, Yellowfish Working Group