TIGER SHARK KILLINGS at ALIWAL SHOAL

ok fair comment, this should not deplete itself into a slanging match between shark interested parties and the NSB,

as that would never get anywhere.

i think that it is dissapointing that the shark operators are often discounted because they have a vested interest in,

as you say, "star attraction".

it's not just the operators that are worried about it, it's the very people that go to aliwal from all over the world, to

see the sharks. would a considerable number of blacktips be as big an attraction? would they hold inspiration for

the viewing parties to get involved in shark conservation?

if the shark operators were in it only for the money, would they not be better off earning money from a higher paying job?

isn't it the fact that the operators were in the first place, shark nuts, that made them go out and discover more and more

about them, and then charge money to take people out to do the same thing? ok, sure, like everything, there are the followers

that try to make a fast buck, but that sort fades in and out of everthing where money is involved.

as for your question re bronze whalers and black tips....who knows?

i think that it is dissapointing that the shark operators are often discounted because they have a vested interest in,

as you say, "star attraction".

it's not just the operators that are worried about it, it's the very people that go to aliwal from all over the world, to

see the sharks. would a considerable number of blacktips be as big an attraction? would they hold inspiration for

the viewing parties to get involved in shark conservation?

if the shark operators were in it only for the money, would they not be better off earning money from a higher paying job?

First of all, I don't discount their concern as conservationists. I do find it problematic that they use "dirty laundry" politics, alluding to unproven misdeeds and claiming it as "science" or "fact". Everyone is allowed to make a buck and I happen to know the cuvier dives in KZN are pretty lucrative for the operators and I'm not sure some of them could get better money doing something else. So all power to them for working hard to protect their industry.

There's no doubt the shark diving industry has protected sharks in places like the Bahamas and Fiji.

it's not just the operators that are worried about it, it's the very people that go to aliwal from all over the world, to

see the sharks. would a considerable number of blacktips be as big an attraction? would they hold inspiration for

the viewing parties to get involved in shark conservation?

I think the Stuart Coves and GBR reef shark dives have better traffic than the tiger/bull shark dives and probably is a bigger industry. I think the reef shark dives are the main shark industries whereas the cuvier and leucas diving are fringe industries. Even the CC cage dives probably have better traffic. In fact the Limbatus make the Cuvier dives MUCH more "interesting" in Aliwal.

Which is exactly what I've been asking of those writing to condemn the NSB, suggest a real alternative. As I've repeated at least twice, the NSB, while wholly imperfect and working on a false premise, strikes the balance between psychologically 'protecting' the general population and also preventing a mass removal of sharks. In essence, it is doing the job it was created to do so. Until better education in ZA lowers the inane fear of sharks, they are the unfortunate balance right now. I wish I could infuse a state of calm about sharks among the world's general population and a need to protect them.

Criticising the NSB and throwing out allegations of misdeeds by vested interests is neither fair nor constructive. Until a better alternative is found, going to drumlines and removing the nets is the best answer to maintaining that balance for now. It lowers accidental deaths (I've seen humpbacks caught in the nets even) of marine animals. This is a discussion about how the nets are affecting the population of tiger sharks and how the shark diving operators are worried their star attraction may be affected. Furthermore the allegations of misdeeds by the NSB need addressing as there is simply no concrete proof as of yet. I've not heard of their urge to protect the many other shark species that are being caught in the net. In fact, when the shark feeding first started, the population of C. Limbatus that compliments the dives were not as prolific until '02 or '03, right about the time when the C. Brachyurus were being hit by the longliners.There's not enough data to say anything but it's an observed trait that the C. Brachyurus are much fewer in number. The other issue is that for many, distinguishing between the 2 sharks is still problematic. So did the C. Brachyurus being hunted offshore bring about the proliferation of the inshore C.Limbatus? What is the connection?

 

Travy

Did you post that NSRI newsclip to say something? What is the connection?

[/quote

 

The NSRI mailed me that as part of their daily press releases, i thought i would put that up since everybody was talking about sharks,divingn,ets and the NSB.In fact im in Umkomaas right now doing an insert on exactly this.Was supposed to dive Aliwal Shoal this morning but viz was at 1m so it was cancelled.Doing the Tiger shark dive tomorrow then heading to the NSB to do an interview and B roll.Everybody has a their side of view and they should have a platform to be heard.

The NSRI mailed me that as part of their daily press releases, i thought i would put that up since everybody was talking about sharks,divingn,ets and the NSB.In fact im in Umkomaas right now doing an insert on exactly this.Was supposed to dive Aliwal Shoal this morning but viz was at 1m so it was cancelled.Doing the Tiger shark dive tomorrow then heading to the NSB to do an interview and B roll.Everybody has a their side of view and they should have a platform to be heard.

Ok but I really can't see the connection to shark diving but thanks for bringing up the NSB interviews. It'll be interesting to see if they answer something more than their standard scripted answer.

So today we descended on Rocky Bay,expecting conditions to be better(than yesterday) but to no avail,in fact it got worse(All the dive ops cancelled their trips).So here i sit with 2 french tourists(At Blue Wilderness) contemplating is it worth all the money they spent to getting into dirty water where viz is at less than 2m(and watch shadows).Well after a brief discussion,we all decided to go ahead because all of us had tight schedules(They were continuing down the Garden Route for patry and scuba and i had to get home for before xmas) .Steve the skipper,suggested we go out and have a look,maybe the water would be cleaner further out off shore.So with just 3 divers + the DM on board we went to have a look.We first stopped at Caste(normally where they bait) but nothing happened and we waited there for 2 hours(however steve went down and said the water is very clear after 5m).However we decided to move to another spot(for lack of action) and waited for a further 2 hours.At this point i thought that we were probably not going to see any sharks.A charter fishing boat nearby,suggested we go even further out because they where having a problem with sharks eating their catch,so we got their co-ords and jetted off.Arriving at the spot the water looked blue and clean(exciting us all).We got into the water descended to about 8m and found viz to be terrible,however there was about 10 dusky and blacktip sharks.So we did our thing.We shot and they nibbled.Returning to shore,they dropped me off to film the nets.At that stage the viz was only at 1m in very green water.

Maybe a bad day at sea salvaged?I thought it was worth it.

So tomorrow we speak to the NSB(see what they have to say,(probably going to toe the party line,)then the public,to see what their views are.I think it will be very contrasting views indeed.

Today i spoke to all parties concerned and this is what they are saying:

NSB:

1. Beach tourism is of particular importance in KwaZulu-Natal. It has

been estimated that domestic beach tourism sustains in the order of 88

000 annual KZN jobs, directly or indirectly.

2. It is the Sharks Board's opinion that shark diving and protected

bathing are able to co-exist. Indeed, shark nets have been present at

Scottburgh since 1964 and at Rocky Bay (Park Rynie) since 1970 and yet

their presence has not prevented a tiger shark diving industry from

being established nearby in recent years.

3. Yes, shark nets have been effective in greatly reducing the risk of

shark attack. For example, in the decade before shark nets were

installed at Durban, 21 shark attacks took place, seven of which were

fatal. Shark nets were introduced at Durban in 1952 and in the 56 years

since then there has not been a single incident resulting in serious

injury. At KZN's other protected beaches, shark nets have reduced by

over 90% the rate of shark attack (number per year) resulting in serious

injury.

4. In terms of catches of marine animals, the Sharks Board has

introduced a range of measures over the years to reduce these. These

have included (i) reducing by about one third the length of netting in

use at each protected beach, (ii) improved anticipation of the arrival

of the sardine shoals during each year's sardine run, enabling the nets

to be removed in advance and hence reducing the catches of animals that

are associated with the run and (iii) in February 2007, replacing half

the nets on the Hibiscus Coast (Hibberdene to Port Edward) with

drumlines, a more selective shark fishing device that has brought about

a substantial reduction in catches of animals that pose no threat to

bathers. In addition to these measures, all animals found alive in the

nets or on the drumlines are released.

Dive operators:

Nets are responsible for entanglement and killing of sharks and other

species leading to the decline of vital stocks.This will inevitably lead to an imbalance of the marine eco -system.

Today a raggie was found dead.A few weeks ago Tiger sharks and a turtle were also found(As seen in this thread).

They believe strongly that the nets are bad science and should be removed.

The Public:

Aware that the nets pose a danger to marine life but feel that the removal of nets will pose a danger to the majority of beach users who dont feel the same way about sharks as Scuba Divers.

So people are speaking,debate,debate,debate!!!!!!!

The shark nets within the MPA's need to be managed way better by the NSB , perhaps more patrols more maintenance. If a Raggie can survive a trip on the back of a pick up truck filled with seawater to Pretoria, why should this Raggie not survived the entanglement.

All you in the know are saying " suggest an alternative"

Here goes :Please feel fee to add

1. More frequent maintenance of the nets in MPA's

2. Removal (I wish) in MPA's with an alternative shark protection strategy in these specific areas --

3. Using Rocky bay as a testing ground by removing the nets and testing alternative shark protection methods. ( vigorously informing the public by extra signs at these beeches wihin the MPA's , updating information signs when conditions are more "sharky" , better shark educated lifesaving facilities within these areas)

Aboshoff

Thanks for the suggestions.

1. More frequent maintenance of the nets in MPA's

I do agree that more vigilant monitoring of the nets would probably lower mortality rate. Unfortunately I think with budget cuts and fuel prices going the way they are, I'd be surprised if that were workable. Perhaps not using a duckie but a smaller engined boat? Obviously the construct of the MPA is different to the NSB. Perhaps the shark diving ops could charge a surcharge to help out? Of course they think the NSB is already inefficient but sitting at the negotiation table and pounding out a deal whereby the shark operators pay for an extra patrol or 2 a week wouldn't be unreasonable.

2. Removal (I wish) in MPA's with an alternative shark protection strategy in these specific areas --

As Travy reports, I think the move towards drumlines is picking up speed. Which may not be what the operators want anyhow because drumlines are designed to go after bigger sharks.

3. Using Rocky bay as a testing ground by removing the nets and testing alternative shark protection methods. ( vigorously informing the public by extra signs at these beeches wihin the MPA's , updating information signs when conditions are more "sharky" , better shark educated lifesaving facilities within these areas)

Most definitely, education is key. I do want to find out about the correlation of why the nets of Rocky Bay/Scottsburgh and the prevalence of the shark diving industry in the area. I'd want to see if the advent of the shark dives has increased shark activity in particular areas where nets are nearby. If there is correlation, wouldn't it be better to relocate the shark dives? Or even terminate them?

It seems the NSB has noticed the same correlation but the catch data pre-dive operations isn't available. I'll email them to get an answer hopefully.

In their stats (http://www.shark.co.za/statistics.htm), the nets catch 53 tigers on average (23 released), the NSB claims that tiger shark catch analysis shows the population growing. Now are they growing in population or is it just the word is out in tigerland about good feeding (chumming)? The NSB says the Scottsburgh/Rocky Bay area is more prone for tigers ( http://www.shark.co.za/news/news_september_2008.htm ). If tigers can chase turtles around the coral sea and beyond, who says they can't extrapolate food source in specific areas, like they do in Raine island/Vanuatu/Aldabra? All of this is highly interesting and hopefully the shark is the one the benefits the most out of all this.

Another Tiger shark carcass removed from Park Rynie nets yesterday !