Anchovies were the most caught fish, according to information obtained by Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) since 2023.
The report was tabled at the Amanzimtoti Main Beach after the 2025 sardine run, in KwaZulu-Natal, last week.
Catch volumes of anchovies, reached up to 152,431 metric tons in 2023.
Once caught by fishermen, anchovies are used as a fishmeal and oil rather than for human consumption.
Hake was the second largest caught fish.
According to StatsSA, hake generated over a quarter of total sales of caught fish, in 2023, followed by squid, lobster, tuna and anchovy.
In contrast to anchovy, South African hake is widely distributed as a food source. It makes up 0,8% of total household spending on food, according to the consumer inflation basket, overtaking other food items, such as beef steak, sausages and meat patties.
Squid and tuna have muscled their way up the rankings, bolstering their contributions to total sales.
Caught fish is the second largest source of income for the ocean (marine) fisheries and related services industry, generating R5,4 billion in 2023.
The industry generated R19,9 billion in total.
This makes it the smallest of 16 industries surveyed by Stats SA in a series of detailed, industry-specific reports.
Picture: SF Examiner