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Of course, Micetta. You can't live on seafood only. One cannot rule out this possibility.

Who says these communities are not harvesting on behalf of some or other fat cat restaurant owner? Where does protection start/stop? And law enforcement? Or lack thereof? If it wasn't so sad, I would insert a couple of LMHO-smilies here.

A few years ago we were sitting at the harbour in Hawston near Hermanus, and we witnessed people dragging huge bags of crayfish tails from boats into the ablutions on the harbour slope - from there it was dragged by another group of fishermen (read poachers) to a vehicle parked nearby - and another group of people loaded it onto the vehicle with a CT registration. Yes, I realise Hawston is not a MPA, but this illustrates the point why MPA's are so desperately needed.

Is the poaching of a rhino more important? In my book poaching is poaching is poaching. (Rhino pics are just more disturbing, I agree).

Hi Elzet, fat & healthy thanks

Strangely I do feel for the folks around, not only Kruger but all the parks, that are in difficult situations. It seems as if it is almost a case of being on the outside looking in like a kid outside a candy store. I believe that with education and training these poachers can be converted to putting their trade in to good use even if it is only realising the potential in the tourism trade.

On the harvesting of the bounty of the sea by the local communities Yes I have seen them do their best to make ends meet. Our rock lobster is by no means endangered even in the cape where it is a commercial catch. Getting them from the side is only possible with the Natal rock lobster as the cape one is a different species and does not come in close. A local will often sit the whole night with his stick (rod) and if he is very lucky he might catch 10 but this is exceptional. The next day he would try his level best to sell these delicacies at anything from 20 -40 Rand a piece and often get caught selling without a permit. Abalone and such need reasonable diving skill and equipment and even competent divers battle to collect a full bag limit. It is easy to say put a complete stop to all fishing but the policing of such a ban is extremely difficult to put it mildly. Your example of the crayfish in Hawston is proof of that and there is a sea fisheries presence in Hawston. I know of an inspector that was taken out to sea during a heavy fog while he was inspecting the catch in Hawston harbour on a commercial craft. He was banged over the head and dumped overboard only by luck was he found and rescued by a holiday maker.


The big positive of these protected areas are that they limit commercial fishing in these area. A tuna boat will find a school of tuna on their fish finder and park on top of it . Next thing they start a set of pumps that spray water on to the surface so that it looks as if there is a feeding frenzy of smaller fish on surface and also release some bait fish from their live bait tanks on the forward deck. These fish find themselves in the open ocean and look for shelter under the boat and this helps to bring the tuna closer to the surface where they are fished out to the last individual. The catch is processed and blast frozen on board and they simply move to the next school to repeat the whole process. That is only one aspect of commercial fishing and I could shock you even more by telling you what goes on in the netting game or the long liners but that is enough to write a book. That will be a true horror story

Hi,

My mate and I are heading over to South Africa in a few weeks, and the first 6 weeks of the trip we'll be seeing nothing but sharks We've got 4 weeks volunteering in Gansbaai helping study great whites, followed by a 2 week 'sharks of southern Africa safari' around the Cape. Sharks we should see are Great Whites, Makos, Blues, Raggies, Hammerheads and more!

This is my fourth trip to South Africa and everytime I've been lucky enough to see and dive with (in a cage of course ) Great Whites and every time their majesty, power and beauty blows me away.

So in anticipation of the coming trip I thought I'd share some pics with you from previous dives. Hope you enjoy



Mossel Bay Whitey



This was the first Great White I ever saw, in Gansbaai. And the shot was taken by a disposable camera no less



I love the way the water bends around the dorsal fin and it's nose, but hasn't actually broken through yet.

I'll post some more pics when we get over there of our adventures.

Sharky74

Hi Sharky and thank you for posting super photos on this thread!

Enjoy your diving and please post more photos. I'm off to Protea Banks on 2 January 2011 for a few shark dives myself. Looking forward seeing Bull-sharks (Zambesi's), Tigers, Blacktips, Raggies and Sandsharks!

But Great Whites are the ultimate dives!

I just love that last photo of yours!

Hi TheunsH, below is an extract from a letter that I wrote to the local KZN papers a few years ago after an incident at uShaka Marine Park - needless to say that I had no response.



I love my sport angling, but "hook and cook" is not part of the deal.

The juvenile grey shark is now a rare catch on this part of the coast

Hi Bushcraft,

It is shocking to read how many sharks are slaughtered everyday...For 2 boat operators to kill 100 sharks on a good day is a disgrace! Unfortunately/sadly it is a situation of "out of sight out of mind". Many people are behind the drive to stop rhino poaching but the truth of the matter is that saving our oceans and the food-chain therein are much more important...We, the human-race, need the ocean to survive and that is the bottom-line! Please don't get me wrong, I'm also behind the anti rhino poaching drive but I feel that saving our oceans needs more exposure.

A few months ago I was informed by the dive operator at Shelley Beach that the fishing operators are planning a "shark catch bonanza" without the aim to catch and release! Fortunately this slaughter was stopped due to international pressure!

Thank you for your post Bushcraft!

Just arrived back from the South Coast, KZN. I had five great shark dives and the sharks were out in full force! During one of the dives we were closely scrutinised by between 100 and 200 hammerhead sharks!

The best about shark diving is the fact that there are no traffic jams down there at 40 meters. It is pure bliss!!

Hey, where are all the shark-divers out there?!

Conservation entails more than impalas, rhinos ans ellies!

Come on people let's save the ocean as well!!

I am not a diver Theuns, but do take ocean conservation seriously. During a recent fishing trip to Natal, one guy caught a shark, and tagged it, but when he wanted to release it, a man from Asian descent approached him and asked if he could take it. We objected and said that it is against the law. He stared at us and said that no local ever release sharks because the sharks compete with them for food. When asked what he was going to do with it, he said that he has got contacts who buy the shark fins for export to the East. Needless to say, we ordered him to go to a really hot place. The shark was released.

To see that many t bones is a great sighting. Their numbers have dwindled over the past few years due to man being ignorant and greedy. Having been labeled as man eaters they were hunted and persecuted and it has only lately that the truth behind these special creatures have come to the front.

As for the local shark fishing industry natal is pretty far behind in the slaughter. There are very few commercial fishermen on the natal coast compared to the cape coast. Vessels in natal have to be much sturdier than in the cape due to launching facilities and carry much lighter loads. In the cape boats normally carry over a ton of shark and it is not intended for export. It is being sold as all sorts of bohemian fish names in the local fisheries and included in all time favorites like fish fingers and nuggets. The local population buys this on a daily basis without realising what they were eating.

Luckily the hook and cook attitude is being replaced with tag and release for a large number of locals in the natal area with ori tagging kits being found in most tackle bags. My brother lives on the lower south coast and if this guy approached him for the shark things might just have been different with the guy finding out how it feels to do a swan dive off the rocks. They get very grumpy with up country fishermen who take everything that swims and will not think twice to call on the nature conservation officials to have a serious discussion with offenders. Bragging rights nowdays goes to the guy who tags and releases the most and biggest fish, at least one step in the right direction.

Thank you Rooies and Sparks for your contributions!

Some good news as well:



Herewith the link: http://bionicbong.com/japan/news/japan- ... hale-hunt/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That is great news!!!!!

I might not be a diver or even an ocean person, but whether on land or in water - animals all need protection.

I have been following the Sea Sheperd on DSTV, and man those guys are really tough and relentless. Finally it seems to have paid off. WELL DONE AND THANK YOU TO THEM!!!!!!!

Brilliant news!! thanks theuns

I say use as much force as is necessary! They need to learn that their actions are not acceptable. 30 to 100 is considered a small number

Last night I posted those good news on the GGGG thread, but nobody seems to have taken notice
So I was all on my own Maybe the subject was too serious for the GGGG thread, now that I come to think about it

Brilliant

Now if we can only get the same message across to the rhino poachers