IDENTIFICATION
This well known angling fish is elongate with an overall silvery sheen with light green/blue tinge on the dorsal surface and upper flanks.

DISTRIBUTION
Although shad occur in warm waters throughout the world, the South African population is separate from these, and South Africans have the sole responsibility of looking after the shad stock found along the eastern seaboard of our country.Tagging of shad has shown that they migrate from the cool waters of the Western and Eastern Cape to KwaZulu-Natal each winter. The shad migration follows that of their main prey - sardines - during the annual ‘sardine run'. In the warmer waters of KwaZulu-Natal they breed in spring to mid-summer. Their eggs hatch after a few days and the young fish are carried back to the south-eastern Cape where they spend their first year living in large marine bays.

FEEDING
Young shad feed on small marine creatures drifting in the open ocean, while adult shad are vicious predators, preying on small fish such as sardine, pinkies and karanteen. Most fishermen have witnessed the excitement of shad 'on the bite' when large shoals gather to feed. Shad also provide food for other predators including large gamefish, sharks and dolphins.

REPRODUCTION
After a lengthy winter migration from the Cape to KwaZulu-Natal, spawning occurs from September to February with a peak in November and December. The larvae drift back to the Cape waters inshore of the Agulhas Current. Most shad are sexually mature at 30 cm and the number of eggs produced each season increases significantly with age.

GROWTH
Shad can grow to be 120 cm long and a weight of 14 kg. Fish of this size would be 10 to 15 years old - but with the intensity of fishing along our coastline few fish survive to attain this age. One year old shad are 25 to 30 cm long and at two years they are over 35 cm and are sexually mature.

FISHERY
Shad have been a popular eating fish since the early 1900’s and there are numerous historical accounts describing the abundance of shad in earlier days. Huge shoals of shad were netted in the Durban Harbour and, prior to 1960, 20 000 dried shad a week were sold in the Durban fish market. Dried shad were also exported to Mauritius. No shad may be sold in KwaZulu-Natal unless in the possession of a commercial licence. Due mainly to over fishing, shad catches declined in the 1960’s and 70’s and fewer large fish were caught. To ensure that future generations may continue to catch and enjoy shad, catch restrictions were introduced from as early as 1916, a bag limit was set in 1973, and in 1977 a closed season was introduced. Today, seventy per cent of all fish caught by shore anglers in KwaZulu-Natal are shad.

MANAGEMENT
Minimum size limits protect young fish, allowing them to grow to beyond the first breeding age. Bag limits restrict anglers daily catches of shad and distribute the catch evenly among anglers. The closed season from 1 October to 30 November protect the shad at a time when they are at a vulnerable stage. Just as we do not catch crayfish in berry with eggs, it is important to leave shad to release their eggs into the water during their breeding season.

• Shad are classified as a restricted species.
  
• The daily bag limit is 4 per person.
  
• The minimum size limit is 30 cm.

Rudy van der Elst and Bruce Mann are acknowledged for the scientific information on which this web page is based.