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Death by Shark Net?

Dwarf Sperm Whale death by shark net

Death by Shark Net?

Death by Shark Net? Before we embark on this quick journey into the operations and goings-on at our very own Kwazulu Natal Sharks Board, we have a questionnaire for you! You don’t have to make public your answers. Your answers, are for you to digest.

Questionnaire

  1. How many times have you swam in the sea this year so far?
  2. How many whales, dolphins and other marine animals have to die of asphyxiation in the gill nets set by the sharks board per year, so you can go swimming? (Spoiler – it’s 500 or so)
  3. How come the entirety of the Cape has not one single shark net?
  4. Do you know that your taxes pay for the endless killing spree of the KZNSB?

Shark food for thought?

Funding

Yes, you pay for it all. With your taxes. You pay the salaries of the people who go out and do the killing. You pay for the nets and machinery that lays to waste marine life day in and day out. You pay for the fuel that those boats burn up. You pay for the administration of all this blood.

This is from Microsoft…

“The KZNSB services a combination of shark nets and recently-deployed drumlines, spread at intervals along 320 km of coastline in KwaZulu-Natal, thereby providing protection against shark attack at 38 localities. It employs about 170 staff members, most of whom put to sea on 15 boats to service the equipment.”

Purposefully laying waste to marine life. Every single day.

Dwarf Sperm Whale

Well, one thing is for sure, if not for the Kwazulu Natal Sharks Board nets allegedly achieving this result, I would never have ever come across a Dwarf Sperm Whale. Unbelievably, there are two of these weird incarnations. We also get a Pygmy Sperm Whale.

Both are incredibly rare. And yet, here is a dead Dwarf version washed up in the East London area recently. It is one of four reportedly, that have died this way lately.

Dwarf Sperm Whale death by shark net

The original post came from a conservation group known as The Green Ripple…the animal came ashore on an East London beach.

https://web.facebook.com/savethewildcoast?cft[0]=AZUz9sXZlqXC3e7hZf6XYb4wmLmEMvuKkeFoR3YSZfjthYOt2FAJiXgCfL39jnLPcJ7ZkgMpbroyI3iYrDR_4w4Q5XlKnbmpmsBDs61NE_6z2m5SxB-RQpYhmrtiABJYtMjlbFaTc87Ka890OZEHJv2vH2N1hIB3ZUck8MK7iVtMpd-g8OrGtDwUESzqZhIaTUM&tn=-UC%2CP-R

How the whale got there is simple. The animal got free of the nets that it was entangled in. There are no pieces of net left trailing as would be the case if the animal powered itself through the shark net. It may still have been alive when it was cut free. Common practise of the KZNSB is to drag sharks or other live animals caught in the nets, a distance out to sea, and let them loose. Allegedly, this was the case with this animal.

Either way, the Agulhas Current is super-charged. It can read 6 knots at times. And when the North-East wind cranks, the surface waters can move even faster. 6 Knots is 6 miles per hour, equating to 11.11 kilometres per hour. From Port Edward (the southern-most KZNSB killing field), to East London by sea is 300 km. This means it takes barely 30 hours to drift its way out of being found beached up north.

Although many cetaceans, after death by shark net, also watch up right in KZN still.

Shark net characteristis lacerations clearly visible on baby dead whale
Shark net characteristic lacerations again visible on this baby dead Humpback whale’s body washed up at Trafalgar a few years back.

You can read all about this little whale guy right HERE.

Baby whale dies in net at Trafalgar. Shark nets most likely says lifeguard. (thesardine.co.za).

And here is a list from the other bunch of ignoramus on the planet – who also deploy this archaic and brutal practise. Yip, you guessed it – the Ozzies.

Check their list of recent and well-documented achievements…

Heartbreaking footage of a dead baby whale that died in shark nets off Gold Coast | Gold Coast Bulletin

Watch: Marine rescuers fight for two days to free young whale entangled in shark nets | Trending News – The Indian Express

Disturbing truth behind Australia’s shark nets – Nature in Mind (tracybrighten.com)

Relief As Entangled Whale Freed From Gold Coast Shark Nets | Triple M

The Dangers of Shark Nets: Humpback Whales getting Caught along the Gold Coast – Ocean Pancake

At least their press over there is wising up. There are so many stories. It turns out they have killed double the marine life than us here in South Africa.

Selling Shark Meat and Fins

Yes, they have practised it all. And they still want to do more of it…enjoy this read and clear admission of guilt. Admission of no understanding whatsoever. Of the fact that remove a shark, and there isn’t another to just take its place.

https://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/board-in-bid-to-sell-shark-meat-1787770

This is a clear and present rogue government-sponsored organisation.

Sharks are the slowest growers out there. A White Shark matures at 30 years old or so. The Zambezi, or Bull Shark, takes 15 years to get 2 metres long and able to reproduce. There are hardly any of either of these fish left either. The population is down to a fraction of what it should be to balance the oceans out.

The Law

There is a thing called the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea aka UNCLOS.

Article 65 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) addresses the conservation and management of marine mammals. Here’s a summary of its key points:

  1. States are required to cooperate for the conservation of marine mammals.
  2. In the case of cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises), states should work through appropriate international organizations to ensure their conservation, management, and study.

I guess we better ask Greenpeace or Sea-Shepherd for their help at this stage. Sea Shepherd have started picking on the Ozzies finally. Hopefully we will be next.

Facts and Figures From Co-Pilot (AI)…

The KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board (KZNSB), which operates a “shark control” program using shark nets and drum lines off the coast of KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa, has been involved in the killing of marine animals. Over a 30-year period, the following numbers of animals were killed as part of their program:

  • Sharks: More than 33,000 sharks.

Turtles: 2,211 turtles.

  • Rays: 8,448 rays.

Dolphins: 2,310 dolphins1 (follow the link for more from Wikipedia too)

Conclusion

Remove the shark nets! Save everything that’s left!

Here are the same ‘alternative solutions’ I presented to the then ‘Natal Sharks Board’ in the 1990s. They would not listen to me. Four scientists and Graeme Charter did everything in their power to continue the slaughter rather than look at these technologies.

Shark Detection and Alarm System – Tiger Lily Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Shark Exclusion Net System – Tiger Lily Consulting (Pty) Ltd

Used together these systems will protect the bathers. And the marine animals. And only when and where they are needed. There is no need to be killing marine wildlife tonight.

While we are all sleeping?!

Affiliated websites

https://umzimkulu.co.za – self-catering right on the river
https://umzimkuluadrenalin.co.za – sardine run coming up
https://thesardine.co.za – never miss a single sardine
https://masterwatermen.co.za – news from deep down
https://brucifire.co.za – surf and conditions reporting
https://fishbazaruto.com – your dreams are out there

Affiliated YouTube Channels

https://youtube.com/@mydotackletalk – highly technical sport fishing

https://youtube.com/@thesardinenews – neva miss out

https://youtube.com/@waterwoes – complain here

https://youtube.com/@Brucifire – entertaining surf reporting

https://youtube.com/@surflaunchingsouthernafrica – getting out there

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Sharks on my Sonar!

SHARKS on my SONAR

Sharks on my Sonar!

Sharks on my Sonar!: we head out to the Noosa River in Australia for this story…where we get to see how Humminbird have perfected their sonar picture underwater.

It is true genius. The machine doesn’t lie. The sharks on the screen are no doubt sharks! As a bunch of Zambezis aka Bull Sharks, are attracted by splashing in the water of this wild river.

And this is all recorded for us ALL to see…that sonar can undoubtedly detect a shark. Especially in calm waters like the Noosa River.

Enjoy the display…

Sharks on my Sonar!

Sharks on my Sonar!

Here is another great article referencing the same fact.

https://recfishwest.org.au/news/spotting-sharks-on-your-sounder-to-help-reduce-bite-offs/

Sharks Board

I first approached the sharks board, back in the ‘2000s’, about replacing their defunct killing methods, with sonar detection. It’s the most straightforward solution under the sun. Sheldon Dudley of the sharks board vehemently opposed my suggestion back in the 2000’s. With him was Graham Charter. The other guys just did nothing. Said nothing. Many meetings went nowhere. It was not their idea, and so was not going to be deployed.

The main excuse offered by the team back then, was that sharks have no swim bladders, and so could not be detected with sonar?!

I never wanted anything except some involvement. However, as it turned out – it was not the right channel to go down, to try to effect change.

My Motivation

I had back then recently come across an entire pod of dead dolphins. On the back of a shark’s board bakkie. I was furious. And I still am. Those dolphins died (suffocated to death), in the shark nets of Umtentweni. Whilst there were zero beach users at Umtentweni. It was a Monday morning. None of us were even surfing. Nobody was using the ocean at Umtentweni that fateful day.

During the week there might be a few surfers. And on weekends the weekend warriors. Some families come down on weekends to enjoy the granny pool or the shore break.

Are these enough people, this risk so big, that a whole family of dolphins…must die a horrid death in gill nets?

Sonar alternatives

The Australians also kill bull sharks and the like, willy nilly, with shark nets. Archaic gill nets. That kill everything. They kill whales over there in the nets as successfully as our guys. They also use drum lines to actually catch the sharks, and then drag them away from their homes. Forced relocation. This does not work since bull sharks always hang around their own river mouths.

But the Ozzies have developed something clever called Clever Buoy. I am not sure why they don’t use off-the-shelf available sonar equipment. To mitigate development and deployment expenses. But they are definitely on the right track.

Municipalities and you pay for the shark nets

Yip, you are the ultimate payer of the death nets strewn along the coastline of Kwazulu Natal in South Africa. Along with your municipality.

The shark’s board costs hundreds of millions per year. With this money, they kill (annual average):

Sharks Board kill rate average per annum
Sharks Board kill rate average per annum. That is 320 odd sharks per year. Almost one per day.

Harmless Catches

And these they call…”HARMLESS CATCHES”?!?!

Note the lack of whales in this chart. I have interviews, photographs and video to prove otherwise…

Please see the following irrefutable proof that the shark nets have been killing baby whales…here in South Africa. And in Australia.

shark nets Archives – The Sardine News

So all these animals must die…and nobody is swimming anywhere. The water is chock full of ecoli and other nasties right now too. Nobody should be near the ocean. And nobody should be killing sharks in these wayward flood conditions. Brown water to the horizon.

These conditions prevail for months at a time. The nets should be OUT!

More alternatives

Yes, there are more ways to stay safe…

  1. Exclusion nets: deployed perfectly at Fish Hoek (Cape Town) recently, these are proven winners. And these were deployed successfully long before there was even a sharks board. At Umtentweni Beach, and most other popular tourist spots along KZN, still have remnants of the infrastructure used. Concrete pillars with poles set into them. And tennis court netting stretched across them. Stopping any access for sharks. All the while allowing nature to continue along around them unimpeded
  2. Shark shields: for a tiny fraction of the cost of running the entire sharks board, they could equip all ocean users with shark shield devices. They are proven to work and are really cheap nowadays. Get it from the lifeguards and return it after swimming. They could even be rented out.
  3. Tracking devices: many great whites have already been tagged with devices that track their activity in real-time. Right now you can go to the Ocearch Project, and see where the whites are congregating. Let’s just tag the tigers and Zambezis too? I notice some Tiger Sharks, and even whale sharks have been tagged and can now be tracked too on that website. Go check it out, incredible technology applied so well. Some data is old. But new pings are popping all the time.

I have given up on trying to convince the sharks board to stop their heinous acts. We need to get rid of them ourselves somehow. Working with municipalities directly or something.

Please get in touch with Sean on +27793269671 or umzimkulu@gmail.com to discuss any of this further. Especially if you work at a municipality and want to save the people’s money from being used to kill marine life. The backbone of our tourism industry here in KZN.

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Another Zambezi Shark aka Bull Shark catch and release in the Umzimkulu Estuary

Another Zambezi Shark aka Bull Shark catch and release in the Umzimkulu Estuary

Another Zambezi Shark aka Bull Shark catch and release in the Umzimkulu Estuary: As the season draws to a rainy close, the crew on Happy Daze have been putting in the hard yards. Fishing through wind and rain, demonstrates the commitment it takes to get fish like these guys do.

Another Zambezi Shark aka Bull Shark catch and release in the Umzimkulu Estuary. On the happy ship Happy Daze with Greg Milward being the happy angler.

Fishing techniques

The neat little boat Happy Daze can take a few passengers. Right through the season, every afternoon after work, she can be seen trolling the channels. Or casting surface plugs. In all directions. And for miles. They cover so much water with this technique. And the surface strikes are what life is all about. Greenspot kingfish – so rare and hard to catch, are in full-pack attack mode this time of the year here.

Trolling produces kob, perch and kingfish. But it’s that surface strike that keeps us all coming back.

Lures vs Bait

Lures by far. A helluva lot more effort for sure, but if you want to catch decent fish, quit your bait habit. Aside from being stinky and dirty, there needs to be some consideration for sticking a big hook through a live bait just for your own pleasure and fun.

The surface strike is epic and I hope all of you get to experience an angry rock salmon come smashing your popper right in front of your disbelieving eyes. You’d better tackle up if you think you can argue with these fish. Check Matt Wainright’s epic struggle with a BIG one recently right HERE.

And down deep…the river has a few 10m holes…perfect for that Dirty Prawn bucktail especially built for and named after the river – the Umzimkulu Special, will have you bending too. This bucktail has a streak of orange built into its belly. And I think this is what does all the magic.

You can drop a plastic paddletail or jerktail down there too. And if you use a MYDO Silver Bullet as the jighead, you can merrily troll this rig out the back for kob and things.

You can kit out for estuary fishing like this right on The Sardine News website at https://thesardine.co.za/mydo. Or use the menu bar at the top of this page.

The Zambezi aka Bull Shark was caught on the troll this time. He came into that spread all excited, made a few charges, and got hooked in the tail! Obviously, the Happy Daze crew have built up an effective estuary spread design. That even gets a little pup Zambezi all excited.

Every fish caught on Happy Daze is released. Including this baby bull shark. Some seasons are better than others. But an average is way over 50 kingfish per season. With the other species bringing up the score to around a 100. Sometimes double that number in the better and longer seasons.

Umzimkulu Special Bucktail by Dirty Prawn
Umzimkulu Special Bucktail by Dirty Prawn
This is what the bull sharks are here to eat...juvenile all-sorts...
This is what the bull sharks are here to eat…juvenile all-sorts…
Umzimkulu Midweek Fishing Offer:Greg Millward with his Greenspot Kingfish in the Umzimkulu
Greg Millward with his Greenspot Kingfish in the Umzimkulu
Ox eye tarpon by Chris Leppan
Ox eye tarpon by Chris Leppan
Chris fishing with Rory and Gavin on Happy Daze in the Umzimkulu yesterday.
Brown water in KZN - good or bad?
And it’s Chris Lepan again with another Umzimkulu Estuary kob.
Early morning on the Umzimkulu River. This is bull shark territory.
Early morning on the Umzimkulu River. This is bull shark territory.

Seasonal

Yip, this is totally seasonal. And the rain that has been pouring here at the Umzimkulu Marina in Port Shepstone recently, is a sign of things wrapping up for this year 2023. When the river comes down with strong rainfall soon enough – it becomes unfishable.

Except for barbels and eels! However, it’s not all lost. The perch and rock salmon stay behind in the brown. And down by the river mouth, the grunter persevere too. Some species of fish must have some serious night vision to be able to operate, let alone hunt, in that brown water. Luckily, in the very depths of the river, and down by the deep mouth area, there will still be salt water down below the fresh that’s on top.

During the odd year, the brown flushes out with a stop in the rain late October and November. As of today, the sun has just come out. The river is brown. But it wasn’t anything like a flood so we should be ok in about a week or so again.

With these first summer rains, the water has gone brown...and this is now real bull shark water at the Umzimkulu Marina.
With these first summer rains, the water has gone brown…and this is now real bull shark water at the Umzimkulu Marina.

Once the rains stop after April or so, the blue water from the ocean comes inside the river again and the tides dominate the flow, we are back in the game.

We are taking bookings for next year so if this is your kind of fishing, I am ready to help you with your ultimate KZN or Transkei Wild Coast estuary fishing holiday experience. Call me or WhatsApp +27793269671 anytime!

You can read and learn all about the MYDO Fishing and Lures right here. We can get you onto the perfect boat and out to sea or upriver with Umzimkulu Adrenalin. And you can stay with us here at The Umzimkulu Marina.

sardine #run #2023 #sardines #kzn #south #african #africa #zambezi #shark #bull #estuary #fishing

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Sonar tagging Zambezi Sharks with Calum Murie

Although Zambezi Sharks are on the top of our hit list, these blacktips are also featured.

Sonar tagging Zambezi Sharks: Calum Murie could have been anything. But he chose to spend his life chasing huge sharks around with sonar tag in hand, ready to abuse the first full grown Zambezi Shark he sees. In the name of science, research and conservation, Calum’s motivation for this career path runs deep and his commitment is exemplary.

  • Although Zambezi Sharks are on the top of our hit list, these blacktips are also featured.
    Although Zambezi Sharks are on the top of our hit list, these blacktips are also featured.
  • Jason Morkel gets right in on the action. Zambezi Sharks don't scare him!
    Jason Morkel gets right in on the action. Zambezi Sharks don’t scare him!

And so it was that Calum enlisted the crew and facilities at the BCSS (Bazaruto for Scientific Studies) this September, to get some more tags installed in some Zambezi Sharks and other suspects. The tags are monitored by sonar listening stations set out up and down the coast between Pemba and Cape Town. So if one of Calum’s tagged sharks goes on leave and heads off for a holiday, Calum is gonna know about it.

This behavioural study of horizontal movement is aimed at supplying decision makers with the correct information regards shark activity along our coastline. Sadly, there have been over ten shark attacks in the Inhambane Estuary just down the coast from the BCSS. It’s the poor crab ladies who are getting taken the most. They are sitting ducks working in a metre of cloudy water at best.

And so Calum is fiercely chasing Zambezi’s, the prime suspect as usual. Although bronze whalers are also on our shark tagging list for being a suspicious character. Calum is also after Tiger Sharks, but we have not been successful at this as of yet. Hopefully we can find a small one somewhere!

You can actually get involved in our shark tagging exploits if you like. The success of the project that Calum is running, has opened up more funding for his studies. More listening stations are being deployed in association with the BCSS and Dr. Mario Lebrato. And we now have another batch of tags to deploy. At over $1000 per tag, we have got responsibilities!

The BCSS was built in order to facilitate research and conservation. So if you are aligned with these objectives, get in touch to join the team for a week or two. Rates are very reasonable. And you get to stay with us out here on the edge of the whole world!

Get in touch on umzimkulu@gmail.com to make arrangements.

You can keep up by staying on top of The Sardine News’ various channels…YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter.

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Why fishermen should stay humble – by Brandon Parsons

Why fishermen should stay humble – by Brandon Parsons

“After landing your first few really big sharks and fish in your life – your confidence builds and builds – until that day…” – Brandon Parsons

Feeling strong enough to handle whatever the ocean throws your way, out goes the bait – the perfect bait, perfect trace – and perfect tackle…and see what happens…in these two Ground Zero videos shot in the heat of the action…deep in the Southern Cape, near Mossel Bay…

The Saratoga featured in this clip can go 20kg’s or more – that’s enough drag to fight a 1000lb marlin with!? With the braid technology these days meaning you can fill your reel to the max – hundreds of metres – you can normally turn anything with power like this. But this fish got other ideas – eventually the pressure was too much for the gorilla hook – straightened!

This is a serious hook that has been annihilated by the combination of the Saratoga drag and the huge fish on the other end. Brandon Parsons
This is a serious hook that has been annihilated by the combination of the Saratoga drag and the huge fish on the other end.

And the next instalment…same place…Brandon Parsons in deep in the Southern Cape…

And the Torium in this clip can pump up to more than 15kg’s – these are two monster fish being tangled with here!

To experience this type of action for yourself – call Brandon 0n 079 058 8722 or email umzimkulu@gmail.com

We can arrange your fishing adventures and guides, accommodation, transport, bait and tackle…to this amazing and shark infested fishing area. We release all our fish (except dinner) and target mainly oversize sharks, huge kob and steenbras.

More on our Pro Fishing Guides HERE

 

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