sharks - cause and effect...

dugg
March 2005
ok. so we all agree cage divers r major *ssholes. nuff said. but they aren't the sole cause. whilst contact with ppl is also a contributing factor theres still more to the problem...

as fish stocks get taken out (check out gov tenders to foreign companies who annihilate our own fish stocks!) more and more problems arise.

for starters, our local seal population is by cape nature conservation's own admission "a bit large". so we have LANK seals in the worlds largest great white breading sancturary, fewer fish and cage diving.

The process shark experts like valerie taylor have outlined goes something like: fewer fish instead of killing off seals, means they go closer to shore to feed on smaller fish. the typical hunting scheme for a great white is to hang around just behind the backline waiting for seals returing from shallower waters (no doubt if you surf dunes you've checked the seals going in lank shallow, close to the shore).

wide beaches that shelve off gently (like dunes and muizenberg) are perfect breeding grounds for small fishies, hence perfect targets for seals and um...u kno what...

a cold front causes upwellings of water from deep down which is full of nutrients. small fishies, bigger fish, seal and gebs r naturally drawn to the area.

so w.t.f. do we do???????

i reckon we need to start a major petition. not just us but everyone who uses the beaches. from spongers to surfers, divers and swimmers we need to do something. i'm sick of shitting off everytime i crack a dawny

its gotta be SO kak for tourism, especially now with a foreigner getting attacked. at some stage the gov. has gotta sit up and listen

the australians did and now they've got shark patrols. it'l cost the gov less 2 do something like that than lose a faarkload of tourists!

we need to tune the gov to either put up shark nets or do fly-by's with choppers. they axed the old john rolff chopper just cause it was sponsored by a ciggie company - & check the results!

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13 Replies

Spy Dude
April 2005
Doug.. i titally agree with you, but just like aparthied and the feeding of babboons cage divers need to be put out of business, its just wrong, its not natural and yur F*****ING with the top preditor in the ocean.
I agree on the dropping fish stocks, raising seal population, a diver buddie of mine who dives with whites without a cage suggested culling the seals, thus controling the whites.

Blowing up cage boats isnt the answer, one got blown up last year after SABC3 aired the show air jaws by chriss fallows, that night his boat went up in flames, he blamed surfers and his insurance paid out nicely.

End of the day i cant go into kruger with goat tied behind my tour bus so that i can gaurentee my tourists good photos, also i cant feed the baboons in lew of getting a R500 boetta... why do we feed the shark?? why do we pet the shark, It blows my mind.
Jah
April 2005
So true dudes so true........

We have to do something, surely we can get animal rights and stuff involved as well as the entire ocean going community except those "live bait, dangle me in a cage people"....
You F*** with nature you pay the price, and unfortunately it's us ocean going people who do. South Africa is relying on Tourism much more than ever before as it brings in foreign investment amoungst other things, and if people start getting scared they aint gonna come and spend their pretty pennies.

I'm in the U.K at the moment, but in 1 week, there have been 2 National headlines in the News of shark attacks in Capetown. Like what kinda of picture does that paint for our Country! Not good man, not good.

Prevention is better than cure, maybe we don't need to go to drastic measures but introducing new ideas and initiatives such as the old "Shark Watch" or netting. But maybe more research is to be done and made more public so that we are all aware of what appears to be an ever growing concern!
Spy Dude
April 2005
Nets wont work in CT, end of story!!!!!!!!!!!!! they will kill too much other sea life, i am more anti nets than i am anti cage divers or GW Poes for that fact.
TAMEGA
April 2005
Hey Guys

As weird as this sounds, shark nets catch more sharks going out to see coming from shore than they do catching sharks coming into the beaches!!!

Anyone who disagrees with me feel free to phone the sharks board in Kwazulu Natal.

Ty
Jah
April 2005
I agree totally dude,

Not only do the nets snag sharks but also other marine life such as dolphins

Surely there must be a way to prevent shark attacks...... ie ban fishing in certain areas, create reserves and stuff, where they can go and get that much needed chow
TAMEGA
April 2005
guys

cmon its simple, if you dont wanna take the chance been bit, then dont surf!!

its there territory and thats the way its will stay, like others if i get chowed by a shark one day, i dont want them to hunt down the shark and kill it!! then the sea will turn into the new south africa!! if you know what im getting at think about it.

T
BB4life
April 2005
Hey guys,

Have you ever heard aboput those transmitters that send out a signal that "repels" sharks? A few months ago some stand ups tested them in the transkei ( heavy shark territory ) and they wern't attacked.
Maybe they could attach those to bouys or something cos theres no way nets are gonna work...

This is a very sensitive subject and its gonna take some thinking to make sure everyone, including the sharks, stay happy...

Cheers,
Jack de Jong.
supermaree
April 2005
well another attack!!!

whats reallly going on? the situation is getting really out of hand.its about time something is done to protect the surfers and beach goers.

the bottom line is that humans have inhabited the lands of the earth and the amount of people going into the waters along our coastlines keep growing with the rest of the population.

and like the human donination of the lands we have to dominate the waters.

whether we like it or not humans must survive, on the lands we must live without fear of being attacked by lions, elaphants etc and in the seas we must live without fear of being attacked by sharks.

so this leaves us with the simple predicament that lions and elaphants were hunted to the brink of extinction for the benifit or the comfort and survival of man. leaving the remainder of these wild creatures in controlled environments.

i believe the same must and will be done with sharks to ensure the safety and comfrt of us humans along the coastlines.

We are the top of the food chain and we must so dominate..... start hunting the sharks!
that NINJA kid
April 2005
Eish Craig,

I'd never be happy being attacked but I dunno bout killing the poor bastards off...

No one's stoked that lions and shit were nearly wiped out.....
We humans are frail creatures, I don't really agree with killing unless you're dominant enough to do it man to beast, bare hands style.....
Muffinman
April 2005
spotted a jonnie on the bluff last night and just carried on surfing and he did nothing to me so i agree with the NINJA
TAMEGA
April 2005
Hey Supermaree

Bro i hear what you saying man, but the big flaw or fault in what your saying is this, yes man did have to kill LAND animals to INHABIT the land, when the day comes that man has to live on the sea without the threat of sharks, as in the lions of later days, then only then would culling or killing in my eyes been valid.

we surf in there waters and there home for now man. if you want to talk about this further you can send me a PM and ill give yeah my phone number.

Have a great day guys.
T
dugg
April 2005
oi!

sum interestin stuff coming up...

i agree totally tamega - i was in kzn recently and speakin to the guys who run the nets in Zinkwazi, one ou tuned they net as many as 80% of sharks comin out from da beaches...

so i've been reading up on this "shark off" thing and interestingly a matie has just returned from indo and ozzie travels...he told me a freaky story about da shark off

this ou was snorkelling with a shark-off on his leg and his kid comes up to him in the water. apparently the kid touched his dad and ended up in hospital with a minor cardiac arrest! amonia apparently works but there's no way i'm going around smellin like miff toilet cleaner!

ok, so i'm in the process of setting up a petition to local gov. in cape town...should have results of the format in a couple weeks time and i'll let ya'll know how to sign on...methinks best way is to circulate it at surf shops, dive shops, malls etc...thoughts? any input would help me lank cause i'm not exactly sure how to go about this...
Kelly
April 2005
These guys operate in the Muizenberg area:

Quote:
Hello ALL

Yes there has been another SHARK Attack in Cape Town.....shizzzzzzzzzzzzzzer!

Luckily not fatal. BUT it was a foreigner, and it will not be the best advert for our City or country!

Muizenberg has been a safer place thanx to all of you! THANK YOU! I think that if you chat to anyone who has been surfing there or works in the industry there, they will tell you this! And i think it is agreed , that the Surfers Board and our Water Watch ( shark spotters) has been a fantastic success! I kid you not; it aint fool proof, and there is a lot that can still go wrong.....BUT it is 190% better and safer than it was 6 months ago!

THE GOOD:

Since we started in Oct last year, we have :
Put in a Big Shark Alarm Siren ( that can be set off by remote from the mountain)
Put up a flag pole - that alerts surfers of "sharks sighted" and "SHARK close by, get out of water" / shark alarm + shark flag.
We have bought 3 vhf radios
We have set up a base station at Surf Shack
We have Rasta and Monwabisi on the mountain and on the beach ( they are now experts at sighting sharks)
We have Polorised sunnies for all/ cool clothes from PUMA/ + Binocs
We have sent Rasta and Fiona from Surf Shack, on a first Aid course - they have a first aid kit and shark attack kit on the beach all the time/ and have administered LOTS of first aid to the public/ surf school clients/ surfers etc.
We are documenting shark movements in the area/working closely with the environmentalists
We have the support of WP lifesaving and Puma Clifton Surf lifesaving and Nine Miles Lifesaving Club.
We are still trying to get "anything " from council.
We have possibly/ more than probably saved lives or at least prevented life threatening incidents, by clearing the water on many occassions, when sharks have been sighted close to surfers.
We have collection jars at surf shops in the area
We distribute flyers to surfers; explaining how we and the system operates!

* OVER 50 SHARK SIGHTINGS IN MUIZENBERG CORNER SINCE OCT 04.
* WATER HAS BEEN CLEARED BECAUSE OF BIG SHARKS CLOSE TO SURFERS MORE THAN 10 TIMES SINCE OCT 04!

The NEW PROBLEM:

We need more money to keep the program going! Simple!
We had your original pledges for 6 mnths.....we need further commitment please.
We need approx R250 per day, to operate! ( +/- R 7500 p/m)
Council has offered nothing, and when they have they have just hanmpered our efforts and let us down! ( we applied to put up a watch tower - sponsored/ gave them plans etc... they said they would let us know, but that we could not errect anything without permission....that was over 3 mnths ago)
Anyway.........i know you are not all made of CASH, but we need to get out there and raise sponsors and donations!

WHO WE APPEAL TO AND WHAT WE WANT:

1. Surf Schools/ Shops in the area ( approx 7)- we think you/ they should donate R 250 p/m (ongoing)
2. Surf schools who use Muizenberg - approx 4 /5 others - we think you/they should contribute no less than R150 p/m
( YOU/ THEY ARE GETTING THE SERVICES OF A SHARK SPOTTER ON THE MOUNTAIN AND A FIRST AIDER ON THE BEACH-this is not only a MAJOR bonus for them and their clients BUT is law in many other countries & will be here one day soon))
3. other surf shops and schools , surf/kite/board magazines, surf apparel and accessory companies and any surf industry players - 100s - we think you/they should all contribute R100 p/m minimum
4.Restaurants/businesses/ residents/ etc . in and around Muizenberg/Lakeside/ Kalk Bay/ St James -many - R 100 min. - many- R 50 p/m min.
5. Every other surfer/ beachgoer in CT or SA; who has ever surfed there/ swum there/ walke/played/ run on the beach

AND PLEASE FEEL FREE TO DONATE MORE THAN THE SUGGESTED AMOUNTS- THE MORE WE CAN GET THE MORE WE CAN DO!!!!!
SPREAD THE WORD!

PLEASE DEPOSIT ALL MONIES INTO:

ACCT: CLIFTON SURF LIFESAVING CLUB
STANDARD BANK
ACCT NO: 070183147
BRANCH: 02009

AND FAX US YOUR DEPOSIT SLIP/ LET US KNOW IF YOU HAVE SET UP A STOP ORDER:
FAX 021 4260881

Thanx again and please spread this message far and wide!

Greg Bertish
The SURFERS BOARD
082 4540398

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