A quantitative stock assessment of the round herring (Etrumeus whiteheadi) population distributed off the west and south coasts of South Africa has recently been completed (de Moor 2022). This enables re‐consideration of the Precautionary Upper Catch Limit rule previously used to provide management recommendations for this resource. A new rule is proposed which decreases the recommended catch limit from a maximum down to zero at a quarter of the threshold above which maximum catch is recommended, and alternative values for the threshold and maximum are considered.