NCYWG

News

Latest news updates on what is happening in and around our area of concern.  Conservation, fishing and any other newsworthy matters.

NCYWG Bell's 2010 festival

 

Website Updates

• Members' photo gallery
  Myself, Etienne, Pieter & Kelly went fishing at Christiana on 25th January and landed over 50 fish in the 7 hour outing, the biggest being my personal best - a 3.6kg smallmouth!
• Links

Top Stories

• Alluvial Mining
  Middle Orange River
  Another (international) mining setup is currently under inverstigation for pollution and flow restriction of the Orange river downstream from Douglas.
  We hope to have speedy feedback on this issue.
  
  Barkly West
  It is with pride that we can claim another alluvial mining setup closed!

  In the beginning of September 2007, some mining equipment was noticed on the lower Vaal just outside Barkly West.  After forwarding some pictures to the relevant authorities (DME, DET, DWAF) and quite some follow-up and shouting after getting very little response, this setup was shut down and all equipment removed by the beginning of December.
  This operation was extracting and washing gravel from the river bed in the ongoing search for diamonds.
  These pictures were taken 3 days after the setup was first seen and within 2 months grew to double the size with all the add-ons made to the floating platform before it was finally removed in December.
  It could well have been a prospecting operation, which is strongly doubted due to the length of time it was in operation but we'll probably never know as we have still not received any feedback from the mentioned departments as requested in the first official and many follow-up e-mails to them.
  Although no feedback, it certainly seems like our persistent queries did have some effect!

• Illegal Fishing
  Vanderkloof
  After a recent issue with illegal fishing taking place on the Orange river below Vanderkloof dam, another ugly method of mass killing fish has reared its head.
  Rock fish traps or "kraals" are being built by the locals in the flood line below the dam and when the flood gates are opened, these "kraals" fill up with water together with large numbers of fish.  When the water level drops, these people gather in their masses with pangas, pick handles and whatever other weapon they can find and start with the mass killing of whatever fish are left behind - including large numbers of yellowfish.

  The new land owner, an avid conservationist, saw this and started taking these illegal "kraals" down at own cost with a bulldozer!
  It is with initiative like this that we can and will win the conservation battle.
  Thanks to Jan-Louis Lombaard, a member from Luckhoff for the very informative pictures.  Let us be on the lookout for operations like these, which can surely not be classified as subsistence angling.

 Reports

Lower Vaal reports

November 2008
October 2008

WHY YELLOWFISH IS IMPORTANT TO US

The National Spatial Biodiversity Assessment released in 2005 by the National Biodiversity Institute in Pretoria reported a frightening 82% of our rivers are “threatened” of which 42% are “critically threatened”. South Africans should be particularly concerned about this statement as most of our country can be described as semi-arid or arid and water is fast becoming a scarce resource. Rapid development of the economy and increasing population places even greater strain on water that must be used many times over before it flows to the sea. At the same time poorly maintained municipal treatment plants together with other factors have resulted in massive fish kills along the Vaal and other rivers. Therefore attention to the quantity and quality of our water, the very basic requirement of life, should receive the highest priority.

A major project undertaken by the Yellowfish Working Group (YWG) and funded mainly with a grant from the Water Research Commission (WRC) highlights this problem.
Termed ‘The State of Yellowfishes in South-Africa – 2007’ it is the first-ever study aimed at the protection of our nine indigenous yellowfish species and their habitat. Yellows are excellent indicators of river health and are frequently used by the authorities for this purpose when monitoring the condition of our inland waterways. In addition these fishes are very valuable recreational angling fishes and are also an important source of protein for subsistence fishermen.

The project comprises several parts:

A popular report of 76 pages in full colour with about 100 photos. Among the contributors to this report are leading aquatic scientists, conservationists, anglers and a lawyer specialising in environmental legislation. This document covers the status of our nine yellowfishes as well as matters relating to their habitat, the threats to that habitat and how to protect it. 

A detailed distribution map of the nine species
A large poster depicting the upside of clean rivers and the intensely adverse effects of polluted rivers. This poster is a vital element in the publicity campaign and the WRC and the YWG intend distributing it to schools, clubs, municipalities, industry and riparian owners.
The main objectives of this report are to emphasize that by protecting our valuable yellowfishes there will be a significant and concurrent improvement in the quality of our rivers as well as in the quality of our life.

Copies of the report K8/719 may be obtained from the Water Research Commission price R50.00 per book plus postage extra email to orders@wrc.org.za or fax 012-3312565.

Media contact: Peter Arderne 0834577478 mwardern@mweb.co.za

For more information on the two species found in our area of concern, please click on the pictures below.

Orange-Vaal Smallmouth Yellowfish

 

Orange-Vaal Largemouth Yellowfish