We are really leaving the future of our species, and that of all species on this planet, to the tiniest minority. Volunteers.
Yes, we do have governmental institutions in place, but no, they are not doing their work. Instead, they facilitate the continued destruction of our natural resources. In every country on the planet.
It’s all very simple actually. The current governmental system, is what’s to blame. It allows for the manipulation of laws and measures. And in some cases, total ignorance of them. Money buys the whiskey, and money can bend the rules.
And the scientists allow it to happen. It is what they are paid to do. Validate bullshit and develop new ways to extort the planet and it’s oceans. Paid for by the governments and corporations. Never trust a scientist (Ok ok, there are some good ones out there).
It’s the volunteer groups. They are the people interested and concerned enough, with the environment, to do something. Greenpeace, Sea-Shepherd…the list, fortunately, is extensive.
Introducing the Shark Angels . An international team of volunteers committed to saving sharks, around the world. Including, and especially, here in South Africa. Where our sharks swim under severe threat, of being strangled and drowned, in the gill nets, of the Kwazulu Natal Sharks Board (KZNSB).
The KZNSB have been cruelly drowning sharks in their nets for decades. At the cost of hundreds of millions of Rands. This year alone, expenditure will reach a hundred million Rand or more. Paid by us. The government takes our money and uses it to kill our sharks. The very sharks that tourists spend their cash to come and see. And even swim with.
Check out the following link to get to know the Shark Angels better.
Jeffreys Bay – The first round of the JBUÂ Supertrial presented by RVCA has been drawn. With the contest waiting period of 1-12 June opening this Monday, surfers will need to be on their toes and ready to head for JBay at a moments notice. There are some big storms lurking, and should the forecast look favorable the contest organisers will have no hesitation in calling the contest on.
Surfers in round 1 will obviously need to be present on the morning of the event, or risk losing their spots to one of the very capable alternates in the event.
With only 24 surfers in the event, all heats are loaded, and the contest is going to be cut-throat and exciting from the get-go.
Round 1 Heat 1
1. Dan Thornton
2. Shane Sykes
3. Matt Bromley
4. Brandon Jackson
Round 1 Heat 2
1. Remi Peterson
2. Dan Redman
3. Benji Brand
4. Chad Du Toit
Round 1 Heat 3
1. Frankie Oberholzer
2. Simon Nicholson
3. Ricky Basnet
4. Ryan Payne
Round 1 Heat 4
1. David Van Zyl
2. Shaun Payne
3. Joshe Faulkner
4. Casey Grant
First and second placed surfers will advance to the quarterfinals, where they will come up against the 8 seeded surfers. Alternates in ranking order:
1.Shane Thorne, 2.Max Armstrong, 3. Kelvin Zehmke, 4. Llewellyn Whittaker, 5. Sebastian Williams, 6. Koby Oberholzer, 7 Simon Fish. 8. Josh Salie, 9. Grant Baker.
Jeffreys Bay: first event in the Billabong Junior Series
Local JBay surfer Rewaldo Abersalie will be competing in the event. @ Ian Thurtell
Jeffreys Bay – The first event in the Billabong Junior Series Presented By BOS is around the corner, and here are all the facts pertaining to the contest.
What is it all about? It is the first event in the 2015 Billabong Junior Series Presented By BOS. The Billabong Junior Series presented by BOS is the longest running junior series in the world, having started way back in 1997. It is also the richest junior series in the world, already having paid out R1,3M to junior surfers in South Africa since the series inception. The series hashtag is #BillabongJnr
Who is in? – The competition will see the best junior surfers in the country all vying for points and prize money. There are both PST (Pro Surf Tour) and World Surf League (WSL) Pro Junior rated divisions. The U12 Boys is a 1A PST rated division, while the U14 Boys, U14 Girls, U16 Boys and U16 Girls divisions are all 2A PST rated. The U20 Boys and the U20 Girls divisions are both WSL 1000 Pro Junior rated. There are also a number of international surfers entered into the event, including Ethan Ewing (Aus), Griffin Colapinto (USA), Seth Moniz (Haw), Shaun Manners (Aus), Eithan Osborne(USA), and Liam Obrien (Aus).
Local JBay surfer Rewaldo Abersalie will be competing in the event. @ Ian Thurtell
Where is the contest venue? – This year will see the event take place at Magnatubes – the perfect right-hand break around the corner from Supertubes. Magnatubes is a long and fast right-hander and the ideal canvas for the best junior surfers in the country to strut their stuff in front of the event judges. With a lot at stake at this event, including prize money, PST and WSL points as well as Billabong Junior Series points, the junior surfers will be going all-out at this new contest venue.
When is it happening? – The tournament is going to be held over three days in July. For the first time in Billabong Junior Series presented by BOS history, the event is going to utilise a waiting period. The contest needs three days of competition over a five-day waiting period, from the 13 – 7 July. The contest also falls under the waiting period of the JBay Open WSL Championship Tour event. The JBay Open is the anchor event of the JBay Winterfest – www.jbaywinterfest.com/
Why is it happening? – Billabong South Africa prides itself in the way that it has supported junior surfing on the country since 1987. Junior surfing paves the way towards professional surfing careers, Championship Tour qualification, and ultimately World Titles. Billabong has been consistently nurturing junior talent in South Africa from a grass roots level over the years, and will continue to do so with the ongoing Billabong Junior Series presented by BOS. Co-sponsors include Nixon and VonZipper.
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The Billabong Junior Series presented by BOS is sanctioned by Surfing South Africa. Surfing South Africa is a member of the South African Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) and is recognised by the Dept. Of Sport and Recreation as the national governing body for surfing.
About the World Surf League
The World Surf League (WSL) organizes the annual tour of professional surf competitions and broadcasts each event live at WorldSurfLeague.com where you can experience the athleticism, drama and adventure of competitive surfing — anywhere and anytime it’s on. The WSL sanctions and operates the following tours: the Junior Tour, Longboard Tour, the Qualifying Series (QS), the Big Wave Tour and the crown jewel of the sport, the WSL Championship Tour (CT) which determines the sport’s undisputed world champions.
It’s been a great year for fledgling daga salmon up and down our entire coastline. I have seen them at this size (featured photograph) being taken in Maputo Bay and all the down into the Cape.
Kob fishing is the saltwater bass fishing it seems as they readily jump on a plastic bait, if well presented, and fished at the right time. They even look a bit like bass, fight like bass…but taste a lot better than bass!
These fish were caught on bait but there is a shot coming in later of another kob on a Mydo Luck Shot.
Stay posted!
Chief Mydo tester Brian Lange featuring with two nice kob caught deep in the Transkei somewhere.
Whilst on a goose chase one morning this week, we swung in at Banana Beach to see what it had on offer. It also gave us a chance to give you a Banana Beach Pistia update.
Well, the accompanying photos still show that the stuff is full up in the corner at the mouth, but exists now at a fraction of what it was, when we first raised the alarm. Most of the blind estuary on the inside of the bridge is clear, pistia can only be seen skirting the edges.
So whatever bug the guys in the know distributed for us, worked wonders. Now we just got to help that the pistia did some good and filtered out some of the raw sewage being dumped into it.
Sometimes the shit flows over the main road on it’s journey down into the estuary. The expansion of population and the increased development in the area has pressured the current, very old, and small system, way into redundancy.
