Fighting for Reef Fishes

South Africa's False Bay lies at the intersection of two formidable ocean currents – the Agulhas in the east and the Benguela in the west. Warm and cold swirl together to create an ecosystem that hosts one of the planet’s most unique communities of marine life. Before the exploitation of False Bay, a bewildering array of endemic reef fishes were present throughout the bay. Today, many reef fish stocks have collapsed. For fishermen this represents a socio-economic crisis. For scientists and conservationists, the protection of these species is a daunting battle.

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In December 1968, Geoff Fridgeon posed for a picture holding a white musselcracker he had speared off Dalebrook beach. A fish this size would have been close to thirty years old. Forty-six years later he stands in the same spot posing with an enlargement of the picture. Today, reef fishes of this size and age have all but disappeared from the bay, and the white musselcracker is near threatened with extinction.

Africa False Bay South Africa aquatic conservation conservation photography fishing harpoenvissen marien marine nature nature conservation natuur natuurbescherming oceaan ocean saltwater sea spearfishing speervissen vissen wild zee zoutwater