Pilchard virus detected as fish deaths span 2,600km of southern African coast
DFFE says Pilchard Herpesvirus has been detected in sardines linked to fish deaths reported across about 2,600km of coastline.
A virus has been detected in sardines linked to an unusual fish mortality event reported along about 2,600 kilometres of southern African coastline, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment says.
Reports have extended from the Western Cape through the southern and eastern coasts to the northern Wild Coast and Namibia. The department said Pilchard Herpesvirus, known as PHV, was the leading explanation for the deaths, although scientists were still assessing whether it was the direct cause and whether environmental conditions also played a role.
Laboratory testing confirmed PHV genetic material in South African sardines, including samples collected in Gqeberha. The department said this was the first confirmed detection of the virus in South African sardines. Surveillance conducted in 2016 did not detect it.
Scale remains uncertain
DFFE cautioned that the 2,600km figure described the geographic spread of reported sightings, not the number of fish affected. The virus had not been confirmed at every location and the sequence of reports did not show how quickly it may have moved.
Preliminary work did not indicate that the deaths represented a large share of the overall sardine stock, but the department said estimates remained uncertain. A hydroacoustic survey planned for October and November is expected to provide the first fisheries-independent estimate of sardine biomass and distribution after the event.
Commercial canned sardines remain safe
The department and the National Regulator for Compulsory Specifications said commercially produced canned sardines processed at approved facilities remained safe to eat. PHV is not known to infect people.
People should not collect, eat or feed dead or dying sardines found on beaches or at sea to pets. DFFE said the warning was linked to decomposition and possible bacterial contamination rather than evidence that PHV infects humans or animals.
A high-level task team is coordinating monitoring, testing and fisheries assessment with provincial authorities, municipalities, researchers, industry and Namibian counterparts.