Shark nets along KZN coast to go
Tony Carnie
January 25 2007 at 10:59AM
The Natal Sharks Board wants to remove nearly 50 percent of the remaining shark nets from KwaZulu-Natal's protected beaches over the next year, replacing them with a less ecologically damaging method of protecting bathers.
From next week, several nets will be lifted on the South Coast and replaced with drumlines - which are essentially floating fishing lines with large baited hooks to catch large sharks.
This alternative method of protecting swimmers from shark attack had been used in parts of Australia for more than 40 years, said Sharks Board Chief Graeme Charter.
He said several tests had been done at beaches over the past decade, and the first drumlines would be installed permanently at Hibberdene and Port Edward from next week.
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Reduce the unnecessary deaths
Charter said the intention was to gradually introduce them at half of KwaZulu-Natal's protected beaches over the next financial year - but he stressed that some nets would remain in place at every protected beach.
The volume of shark netting has already been reduced progressively, with the total net length along the KwaZulu-Natal coast reduced by almost a third between 1999 and 2004.
The rationale for the new policy is to reduce the death toll of a variety of harmless shark species, dolphins, turtles, rays, skates and other marine creatures that die in the province's bather-protection nets every year.
While shark nets are indiscriminate, killing or injuring hundreds of non-target species every year, the drumlines are seen as a more selective way to remove the more dangerous shark species such as Zambezis, tigers and great whites from the vicinity of bathing beaches.
The Sharks Board policy was to reduce the unnecessary deaths, as long as this did not compromise the safety of swimmers.
Neither method provided absolute protection
Charter said although nets and drumlines were both effective, neither method provided absolute protection. "Only a physical enclosure is capable of achieving that, and the construction of such enclosures at surf beaches is impractical."
The Sharks Board also pledged to "engage" with local authorities before installing drumlines at selected beaches.
"The introduction of drumlines is an initiative aimed solely at reducing the environmental impact associated with the provision of safe bathing," said Charter.
According to recent catch statistics, an average of 540 sharks die in the nets every year - including about 22 protected great whites.
About 60 dolphins, 240 rays or guitarfish and about 50 turtles a year get stuck in the nets, although up to 35 percent are freed and released alive.
The Sharks Board noted with concern, however, that several hooks and other equipment had been stolen at sea during recent drumline experiments.
"Members of the public are reminded that drumlines are there to save people's lives and are the property of the Sharks Board, and we will not hesitate to prosecute anyone who tampers with them," said Charter.
In Australia, the drumline hooks are baited less frequently, but in KwaZulu-Natal the policy is to put fresh bait on them daily during the week (about 20 times a month).
Each protected beach will have between four and eight drumlines, baited with red mullet or jacopever (by-catch fish species from the commercial tuna fishery).
o This article was originally published on page 2 of The Mercury on January 25, 2007
- Edited by pippa on 26.01.2007, 15:25 -
