Good news: The recent sardine mortality event along the Western Cape coast appears to have run its course. Image: PICRYLThe recent sardine mortality event along the Western Cape coast appears to have run its course, with no reports of dead or dying sardines being received by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) since Thursday, 6 August. Samples of dead sardines have been collected from several locations, including Saldanha Bay, Hout Bay, Betty’s Bay, Gansbaai and the Cape Canyon area. Harmful algae among possible causesA harmful algal bloom involving Alexandrium catenella was present in Saldanha Bay when the mortality event began. The Department stressed that these findings provide important context but do not establish the cause of the mortality event.