Sardine, Hake, and Anchovy Recruitment Programme (SHARP) / St. Helena Bay Monitoring Line (SHBML) on the Africana Voyage 280, February 2012

At the intiation of the original SARP project the operational objective was to investigate variability in the transport of clupeoid eggs and larvae by the Benguela jet current from the south coast spawning grounds to the west coast nursery area as this would impact recruitment, thereby influencing the abundance of pelagic resources. To date 17 years worth of data have been collected on a transect perpendicular to the coast off Slangkop, the SARP line. Many valuable conclusions have been drawn using the information. Though the SARP line has contributed to its initial goal, the wealth of data and knowledge accumulated over the years suggests it is time for a revamp and extension of the SARP line. The idea is to strengthen the sampling strategy to include a more comprehensive experimental design that not only targets clupeoid eggs and larvae but also the early life stages of another highly valuable fisheries-targeted resource, the Cape hakes (Marluccius capensis and M. Paradoxus), and as a result this monitoring programme will now be referred to as SHARP.