274 DISCOVERY REPORTS 



Taking the zooplankton as a whole, one gets the impression of a rather patchy and spasmodic 

 distribution, quite large numbers of individuals of particular species occurring rather locally. This 

 impression must, of course, be contributed to very largely by the fact that a relatively small number 

 of stations cover a rather large area, but nevertheless there are few occurrences which suggest the 

 population of specific water masses by particular organisms. The picture formed, in contrast to that 

 created by the phytoplankton, rather suggests an independence from the more particular water masses, 

 and an occupation by the animals of ecological niches more suited to their own habit than conforming 

 to the circulation of the water masses. This applies in particular to the chaetognaths, whose distribu- 

 tion follows a similar pattern on all three lines of stations — Sagitta friderici occupying the water near 

 the coast, with S. serratodentata a little farther offshore, and S. decipiens in the deeper water at the 

 very edge of the continental shelf. 



ECONOMIC RESOURCES OF THE BENGUELA CURRENT 



Fish and fisheries 

 In a region so organically rich as the Benguela current it is only to be expected that animals higher in 

 the food chains and of more direct interest to man should also be found in abundance. In fact the 

 pelagic fishes are already being increasingly exploited and among them the South African pilchard 

 takes first place as the basis of extensive fisheries at various points along the coast. Following closely 

 in importance are fisheries for the 'maasbanker ' {Trachurus trachurus), stockfish (Merluccius capensis) 

 and snoek (Thyrsites atun), and many sharks are taken principally for their liver oil. 



It is clearly impossible, in a brief oceanographical survey, to obtain more than a glimpse of the fish 

 populations and any account of these is more in the ambit of the Fisheries Division of the Department 

 of Commerce and Industries in the Union of South Africa, which is conducting extensive research 

 on this problem. 



However, the inclusion of regional plankton sampling as part of the survey did reveal one point of 

 major significance to the economic development of the region, and that is the discovery of an extensive 

 spawning ground of the South African pilchard. As stated on p. 272 evidence was found of great 

 concentrations of eggs and larvae near the coast in the vicinity of Walvis Bay and Sylvia Hill. It is 

 not necessary, however, to enlarge on this here, for the details have been given in an earlier publica- 

 tion (Hart and Marshall, 1951). 



Shellfish also have their place in the economic resources of the current, and there is a thriving fishery 

 for the rock lobster (Jasiis lalandii) on the coast in the southern part of the Benguela region. Although 

 not yet developed, it is possible that squid may some day contribute to a fishery. Frequently large 

 numbers of these animals were seen preying voraciously on saury pikes and lantern fish attracted by 

 the lights of the ship when she was lying at the offshore stations. 



Seals 

 There are several herds of the Cape Fur Seal (Arctocephalus pusillus) on the west coast of South Africa. 

 Their breeding-grounds extend from Cape Cross (21 ° 40' S.) to Algoa Bay on the south-east coast, 

 and established hauling-out places on the west coast are at Cape Cross, Hollam's Bird Island, several 

 islands near and south of Luderitz Bay, at Kleinsee, Elephant Rock, and some more rocky islets near 

 and south of Saldanha Bay (Rand, 1956). The places where the seals haul out are probably determined 

 largely by the availability of suitable islets, and the topography of the coastline. 



These seals are exploited commercially, and during the winter attention is focused on the yearlings 

 of both sexes. During the summer, takings are limited to the bulls in certain rookeries. 



