hi Spearo

[island_sands]

how would one start an anti-shark net campaign in SA? although i am not based i would be glad to contribute in any way.

do you know any organisations?

[SASpearo]

If you'd like to do it legally / professionally / noteworthy, you'd have to start an organization. Then get a lot of people involved in it - the more the better. Then you'd have to lobby the right Govt. officials, etc etc etc. Draw up petitions, hand out memorandums, organize demonstrations etc etc etc.

But there's light at the end of the tunnel.

The Natal Sharks Board, in conjunction with one of my favourite people in the govt, Minister Vali Moosa (wildlife and ecotourism) and the Natal Parks Board has started a project to have all the nets removed from the beaches. In fact, they removed around 25 % of nets in 1998, and they've since removed another 15 or so percent.

Which still leaves a lot of nets out there. I'm busy looking into this, but they are running an experimental system at certain beaches. It's apparently called a "drum line" and judging by the name I don't know if it's such a good idea. The problem however is getting inf from anyone on this - no-one's willing to talk to me about it.

So if we tried to work with the NSB, they are already trying to get rid of the nets, we might be able to supply them with some info from other countries and how they keep the sharks away from beachgoers. I know there's a very good electrical system in use in Oz, but it's way too costly for South Africa to implement.

Does anybody else have any experience in this? I'm still digging through masses of info on shark nets etc, I'll post here if I find something interesting ...

Here, have some Karma dude ....

[SASpearo]

at GoPetition

Looks like it's not attracting a lot of votes at the moment - but we can make a difference. I'm getting everyone I know to go and sign it.

[island_sands]

but won't have much time for surfing these next couple of days, moving to Caribbean on Thursday, at least, hope to be staying there for a considerable amount of time.

how's the weath. in CT today?

[SASpearo]

My office is on the 6th floor of a fairly new building, I can see most of Table Bay from my window (double volume glass)

Water is flat, barely a whisper of wind, one or two smallish clouds ... The guys have been massacring the yellowtail this weekend at Cape Point. They had some great catches, I heard stories of people passing up 10 kilo fish 'because there's bigger fry out there, man'

And I was stuck moving house .... oh bother.

[SASpearo]

I received a very interesting brochure - some facts and figures from them.

Shark nets on the Natal coast has been reduced from 45KM to around 29 Km.

They also told us about the new Drum Line system that they're testing at the moment .... scary stuff. It amounts to a baited line being suspended from a drum, which is anchored to the bottom with cables / chains. This is put in place of nets, which (they say) is used to catch sharks, not to keep them away from the beaches .... so the drumlines will do the same, but 'more selectively' than nets. Turtles won't take the bait, and apparantly neither would dolphins. This would significantly reduce the number of 'by catches' of these species, or at least that is what they are trying to prove with the pilot system installed at Richards Bay.

This pilot site, incidentally, has caught the biggest great white ever caught by the NSB - find the story here - According to the NSB, the shark, which weighs a massive 1.16 tons (1,160 kg) and is almost five metres long, will be dissected and its jaws put on display at the NSB's offices.

Mmmmm .... I'm sure you can read my thoughts on this issue ....

At least, in my eyes, they are doing a fairly competent job. They seem to care for the environment they work in, they certianly do a LOT of research on sharks and the animals around them, and I think they're doing a fair job of trying to replace the indiscriminate netting of sharks and other marine animals. Unfortunately, only time will tell if they come up with the right solution ....