Pretoria – The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment says it has not received further reports of dead or dying sardines since the isolated fresh wash-up near Mbotji on the northern Wild Coast on 10 September 2026.
“The absence of further reports indicates that the acute phase of the mortality event has subsided,” the department said on Sunday, 27 September 2026.
“However, it remains too soon to conclude that the event is over.”
The department said surveillance and reporting arrangements therefore remain in place.
Coastal authorities, fishers and members of the public are being urged to report any new occurrences promptly.
“Pilchard herpesvirus (PHV) remains the strongest biological factor associated with the event,” the department said.
“Laboratory, and epidemiological investigations are continuing, and samples collected before and during the mortality event, together with samples obtained subsequently from commercial sardine catches, are still being analysed.
“This work is intended to strengthen understanding of the cause of the mortalities, the distribution and possible source of the virus, and the possible contribution of oceanographic or other environmental conditions.”
The department added: “No conclusion has yet been reached regarding when or how the virus began circulating in South African sardines.”
The temporary precautionary catch limitation introduced on 11 September 2026 remains in force until 2 October 2026.
At its meeting on 29 September 2026, the Small Pelagic Scientific Working Group will consider the latest mortality reports, laboratory findings, fishing activity and catch information, and advise on the management of the directed sardine fishery after the temporary measure expires.
“Any resulting management decision will be communicated once the applicable decision-making process has been completed,” said the department.
“The planned end-of-year hydroacoustic survey will provide the first estimate of sardine biomass and distribution following the mortality event.
“Scientific work and stakeholder coordination are continuing under the response plan overseen by the High-Level PHV Task Team.”
The department said the PHV is a fish virus and is not known to infect people.
“Commercially produced sardine products released through regulated channels remain safe,” said the department.
“Members of the public should nevertheless not collect or consume dead sardines found on beaches, feed them to animals, or use them as bait.”
