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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Future generation

With a growing network of marine protected areas, a new generation of South Africans like nine-year-old Laila Ntlantlu will hopefully see a return of the country’s iconic reef fishes to healthy numbers.

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