Assessing the impact of seismic surveys on South African Fisheries

ONE Agency
Jan 3, 2021
1 min read

Updated: Apr 24

Aim:

Conduct a desktop study of the impacts of seismic air gun emissions on marine life in response to concerns that seismic surveys have a serious negative influence on fish distribution and commercial catch rates.

Results:

Seismic surveys impact fish species differently:

Hake experiences temporary behaviour disruption
West coast tuna pole and line fishery showed localised impacts, as surveys disrupt tuna migration flow by forcing them to move on
Seismic surveys appear not to noticeably impact horse mackerel
Squid are negatively impacted by low-frequency seismic sound which appears to have resulted in a drop in squid jig catches with seismic surveys