the rise of drone fishing

Off Durban, South Africa, the sun rises over the Indian Ocean. Here, on the “Côte des Dauphins”, the water is hot and full of fish. Yugen Covende and his friends are passionate about fishing. A hobby they practice using drones, which are revolutionizing recreational fishing. They no longer have to throw the bait by hand, but now require drones to drop cargoes at well-defined locations. “The traditional fisherman fishes 70-100 meters from the coast. With the drone, this limit goes to 800, or even 900 meters, where you have better shotsSometimes the holds are colossal, like a 300-kilogram shark. The three friends are far from the only ones using drones.

Jacques Venter’s company in Cape Town has been manufacturing them since 2016 and their models are now exported to the four corners of the planet. Drone fishing is booming, but scientists are worried. Bruce Man, a biologist at the Durban Ocean Institute, fears for shark habitat: “The chances of survival of the animal, dragged over long distances, are very reduced. “For the moment, no official figures exist concerning the impact of drone fishing. In France, the practice is illegal. But in South Africa, Australia or the United States, drones are disrupting fishing practices. recreational fishing.