Sharks Board doing its civil duty to destroy the planet... More white sharks killed

And the killing continues...


Sharks Board caught a 4.2 meter white shark (almost 1 ton) on a drumline three days ago in Zinkwazi and a 2.8 meter white shark yesterday.
Both sharks are protected in South Africa - and world wide - and on the IUCN red list. Apparently there is much controversy around how KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board caught the sharks as usual (reportedly they released the first shark from a drumline - which is highly unlikely since the mortality rate of whites on drumlines is incredibly high), but the pictures speak for themselves and are particularly haunting. And of course, those who love the Jaws stereotype are all a flutter spreading the news.


Those of us who care about sharks and care about their conservation (or just care about this planet) need to take the effort up a notch. Especially now that the South Africa tourism department in a genius marketing ploy is encouraging people to come to South Africa to see their unique "big seven" (the only African nation to offer this) which in addition to the usual terrestrial animals includes whales and sharks now. Ironically, KZN Sharks Board reports to the same minister of tourism as well... So, which is it Minister, you want them dead for tourists or alive for tourists??? Pathetic.

Shark Angels - on Shark Nets from Shark Angels on Vimeo.

Please get involved at www.removethenets.com.

Shark Nets Wreaking Havoc

My article on Shark Nets ran in South Africa's DiveStyle magazine this month, the same month, ironically enough, that South Africa declared they are the only country to offer a "big seven" to tourists. What did they add to the list of tourist-attracting animals? Sharks and whales. Hmm...

So, sharks draw in enough tourists that South Africa has decided to position themselves uniquely as the only country to combine their viewing with lions, buffalo and rhinos, touting an experience like no other and hoping to draw in millions of tourists and dollars all in the name of viewing live sharks. And yet, that very same department - The Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs - is also killing them needlessly in KZN... for, um, tourists? Help me understand this.



Here is an overview on the Shark Net issue. Please go to our campaign site - Remove the Nets - to learn more:

It is hard to believe with all we know about sharks, including their dwindling numbers, their critical role in our oceans, and the small risk they actually pose to us, that the archaic process of killing these animals for bather “protection” still exists. But in KwaZulu-Natal, hundreds of harmless sharks - as well as turtles, dolphins and rays - still meet an untimely death every year as a result of the 28 kilometers of shark nets installed by KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board (KZNSB).

What are shark nets?

The concept is one of population control. Gill nets are installed in front of beaches to fish for sharks - and everything else that is unlucky enough to come across them - thus decreasing risks to bathers. Put simply, nets reduce local shark populations, and during their 60 years of installation in Natal, have had significant impacts on those populations, as well as other animals – all critical to the healthy aquatic ecosystem KZN is famous for.

What’s more, these nets are even installed in Marine Protected Areas without any species consideration. Indeed, KZNSB is the only fishery in South Africa that can legally kill endangered, protected species including the Great White and Whale Shark.


While the nets have been responsible for the death of over 33,000 sharks in the last thirty years, less than 12% were targeted species (whites, zambezis, tigers). 25,000 harmless sharks were killed that did not pose any threat to bathers. However, their deaths do pose a threat to the health of the environment – and the economy.

The nets’ bycatch is appalling during the same period: 2,211 turtles, 8,448 rays, and 2,310 dolphins. The nets caught 100% more dolphins and turtles and 800% more rays than zambezis. Sadly, all species of turtles and many of dolphins are listed as threatened or endangered.


Nets are so disastrous to the ecosystem, they were declared as “environmentally hazardous” in Australia, the only other country in the world that utilizes shark nets. The New South Whales government listed shark nets as a Key Threatening Process due to impacts on the ragged-tooth sharks, turtles, humpback whales and other wildlife. And, the NSW government is required to develop a Threat Abatement Plan, investigating humane and less ecologically damaging alternatives.

Fears running wild

Ironically, nets exist for psychological reasons far more than safety reasons. You are more likely to be killed in a hunting accident or lightening strike than by a shark. In 2007, one person worldwide was killed by a shark, while 793 people died in bicycle accidents and 49 died from dog bites. Of the over 100 species of sharks in Southern Africa, the vast majority are harmless to humans.


Throughout the world, people get into the water without shark deterrents; the extremely slim chance of even encountering a shark - much less being bitten - does not weigh heavily in their decision-making. Nor does it merit unnecessarily killing a threatened or harmless animal. In the last 100 years, there were over 4 times more shark bites in the United States than in Natal. And, there have never been nets in the U.S., including in the “shark bite capital” of the world, Volusia County, Florida. Even there, the risk of shark bite is so low that many more stitches are administered as the result of shell and glass lacerations than shark bites.

Not only do the nets pose considerable environmental issues, but they also pose economic issues, not to mention that the nets tarnish South Africa’s worldwide image as a leader in conservation. Live sharks are worth far more than dead ones. Shark diving in Aliwal Shoal generated an estimated R18 million during 2007, while cage diving in Gansbaai generates approximately R289 million per annum. Live sharks mean tourists, jobs and thriving economies. And that’s recurring income – not one time income when a shark is killed. Yes, while KZNSB is publicly funded, they do earn income selling shark products taken from their kill.



True, if one takes the nets at face value, there are far more destructive practices occurring worldwide. The nets are currently responsible for the deaths of between 500 - 700 sharks yearly, a very small percentage of the total number of sharks killed worldwide – or even in Southern Africa. Over one hundred million sharks will be killed this year. That’s 11,432 every hour. With some regional populations down 90%, we could witness the extinction of species during our lifetimes.

However, it is the mere existence of the nets that is the most damaging due to their impact on our collective psyches. Their installation reinforces our misguided and irrational fears of sharks, providing a very real example that our concerns are valid. This in turn fuels the biggest issue faced in shark conservation: the public’s apathy or even loathing towards sharks. The media-created and shark-net reinforced image of sharks makes it difficult for many people to understand why sharks are worth saving – let alone take measures to do so.


Misunderstood and mal-aligned, the stakes are life or death – and not just for sharks.

The frightening reality is, like them or not, we need sharks on this planet. Remove the apex predators from the oceans, and we are tampering with elements essential to our survival. And the livelihoods of the 400 million that rely on the oceans for their income. Sharks are a critical component in an ecosystem that controls our planet’s temperature and weather, provides 1/3 of the world with food, and generates more oxygen than all the rainforests combined. Recent studies indicate that regional elimination of sharks caused disastrous effects including the collapse of fisheries and the death of coral reefs.

Fortunately, there are many other options to the archaic practice of killing sharks with nets and drumlines, many of which have been implemented successfully in other locations – including the other coast of South Africa. Other methods of harmless deterrents such as electrical current, alloys, and chemicals are also being developed. If we can put a man on the moon, we certainly can determine a method to ensure sharks and humans can peacefully coexist in the shark’s domain. Programs like the Shark Spotters in the Western Cape prove that there are viable alternatives to shark nets and also, that education and awareness go far.



So why are there nets?

It could be said there was a time and place for nets. Years ago, the public knew little about sharks and the fear of attack was running high – and shark populations were far healthier than they are today. We could tolerate nets wreaking havoc on our world’s most important ecosystem, and implementing gill nets, the second most indiscriminate fishing method on the planet, was allowable, though thousands of harmless animals would subsequently be killed in the process. The public wanted and needed “protection” and nets served their purpose.

Since then, while shark fishing has skyrocketed eliminating a large percentage of shark populations, the public has been exposed to much information about the environment and biodiversity conservation as well as the sharks’ true behaviors towards humans. And many have gone far in proving there are other harmless shark deterrents. Shark conservation and the need to protect them is an established fact, as is the fact these animals are significantly misunderstood, with the actual risk of an incident being infinitesimal.

The days of killing animals out of fear are over. And one only need to look at Yellowstone Park, in the U.S., as a prime example as to the far-reaching impacts of these short-sighted acts. South Africa - a country whose environmental policies, fueled by booming eco-tourism, should be setting precedence for the world. At a time when we are racing through our natural resources at unsustainable rates, destroying wild animals simply because we can, or because of irrational fears fueled by a lack of knowledge, is no longer acceptable.



It is time for a change. It is time for the shark nets to be removed.

For several years now, many concerned citizens have spoken out against the nets. But this month, their voices have been united, fueling a unified effort to remove the nets. Save Our Seas, Shark Savers and Sea Shepherd Conservation Society have joined forces with the support of SASC (South African Shark Conservancy) and AOCA (Afri Oceans Conservation Alliance) to help the public take back the waters of KwaZulu-Natal, providing a much-needed platform for a grassroots campaign.

The practice of killing sharks, and all else that come in contact with the nets, is an unnecessary and outdated practice that requires immediate examination and a short-term plan for termination. Consistent with the KZNSB Act of 2008, the Remove the Nets campaign insists the KZNSB commit their primary efforts to improving the environmental impact of their activities; the nets (and drumlines) are no longer an acceptable option. Through a public awareness and education campaign combined with new environmentally-friendly shark management approaches, all can peacefully coexist in the oceans.

Remove the Nets is a movement fueled by the public, who rightfully should determine the future of the nets. Ultimately, what this campaign achieves rests in your hands. Please become part of the solution. Visit www.removethenets.com to sign the petition and get involved.

Another Senseless Death

This time, it was a pregnant female that was caught and killed in the shark nets installed near Scottburgh beach today. A shark whose population is so threatened, it is raised in test tubes in Australia in a desperate attempt to save it from extinction. A shark that is rarely linked to incidents with humans (and more than half of those are provoked) whose main source of food is small fish and crustaceans. A shark who had made it through two sets of nets to the beach, and was then caught in the cloudy water returning to the sea. A shark that was brutally strangled and suffocated to death. A shark that never should have died.

And what’s worse, she was a pregnant female whose death marks the demise of dozens of unborn Raggedtooth Sharks. Running the gauntlet of hundreds of meters of nets installed up the coastline of South Africa, she had most likely made it the long journey up to Sodwana and back instinct guiding her to her birthing place before becoming entangled, not seeing the camaflouged black net in the murky water. Surprised, she must have fought to free herself, only worsening the nets’ hold as it tightened around her gills slowly choking the last breaths of air out of her. A beautifully elegant animal, she spent her last painful moments desperately alone probably never imagining a fate such as this, the remora affixed to her belly giving her no solace.


I found her a few hours later. Diving down, I knew there was a shark on the net – a dead shark. But no amount of dead sharks can prepare you emotionally for the sight. There she was, her head and gills engulfed in tightly meshed net, her timid eyes glazed over forced to accept her fate, her harmless mouth agape frozen in time as she struggled for her last breath of air. This magnificent shark, the kind that is so shy it won’t even allow a diver to come too close, murdered by ignorance and greed. My heart sank when I realized she was with carrying a precious cargo – as many mature females are at this time of year – a new generation of sharks slaughtered before entering the world. I stroked her graceful snout and wished her death was not in vain. That the world would wake up and stop the insanity. That the archaic nets would finally be removed – having caused the deaths of thousands of harmless sharks, dolphins, turtles, rays, and whales while serving a primarily psychological purpose. But while causing very real destruction to a very fragile place.



Then, I could only watch as men dragged her to the surface, joking and laughing as they tried to pull her into the boat, a very large shark, having spent years avoiding the nets of death, As if her death wasn’t brutal and senseless enough, they proceeded to dismember and destroy her in front of my eyes. She was just another fish to them. They gaffed her so hard the gaff broke in two, affixed thick ropes that sawed thru her gills, the water turning red with blood, and then, poked out her eyes only to stick their index fingers into her eye sockets. Her majestic beauty transformed into gore. The air filled with the pungent smell every shark conservationist dreads. The smell of fresh, dead shark.


More than 6,000 of her kind have been caught and killed in the last three decades joining the over 26,000 other harmless sharks that have been slaughtered. And many more will continue to die every year. Senselessly. Brutally. Needlessly.

Generations of animals – many threatened with extinction - who play a critical role in this planet’s health killed because of a media-induced, irrational fear.

When will this madness stop?

(All photos and images courtesy of Paul Wildman. Copyright, Paul Wildman, 2008.)

More Tigers Killed... By Fear

There is blood on my hands again. And this time, it is thanks to an archaic, culling technique called Shark Nets.

In this day and age, with all we know about sharks – including their dwindling numbers, their critical role in our ecosystem, their behavior, and the infinitesimal risk they pose to us – it is absolutely appalling that shark nets exist. Shark Nets are a crime against our oceans and our sharks, and they absolutely must be removed.

We spend our lives fighting to save sharks and their thoughtless and purposeless deaths are incredibly disheartening – especially in a country known for shark conservation. In the last month, I know of and have been witness in some cases to 10 such deaths – all tiger sharks – here in Aliwal Shoal, South Africa.


It was the last death that spurred me into desperate action, as I simply couldn’t sit by anymore and watch as our precious Tiger Sharks were being pulled in one by one, day after day, strangled to death. While the team on the ground here (a powerful group of passionate advocates that will remain nameless at this point) had already launched an anti-net campaign, I was, at this point, busy staying in the background and gathering intelligence – interviewing fisherman and dive operators, swimming the nets daily, even visiting Natal Sharks Board headquarters. Already, I knew enough to make my stomach turn – but little did I know, it would get much worse.

The day prior, I had received information that two Tigers – both almost 3 meters – had been caught and killed in the Nets and the death toll was at 8. Since I have been diving in Aliwal for two months and had only seen a single Tiger Shark, my blood boiled to think the nets had killed 800% more sharks than I had seen in that same period. My informant also saw Natal Sharks Board intentionally hide the Tiger Sharks underneath life vests on their boat hoping to avoid any further bad press.


You see, Natal Sharks Board has to hide the truth of the nets, keeping the deaths away from public eye to ensure that popular opinion supporting the nets won’t sway when people witness the true, grisly outcome of the nets - dead dolphins, turtles, and sharks that hardly seem threatening. Just pathetically sad and heart wrenching. Not the stuff our nightmares are made of, the deeply seeded fear Natal Sharks Board draws upon to justify their existence.


They are so desperate to keep their nasty secret, Natal Sharks Board operates in the shadows, removing their kill early in the morning before anyone can see and hiding victims on their boats far from prying eyes, quickly whisking the casualties away to headquarters. Worse, they even abandon their dead catch at sea – to avoid having to report the growing death toll. – only days prior a dead, 3 meter tiger shark with gill net wounds had been found by a fisherman on the Shoal after another fisherman witnessed a large object being thrown from a Sharks’ Board boat. The Sharks’ Board deceit is not without reason – as I am quite certain if the casual observer began learning about all of the destruction in an already fragile environment, Natal Sharks Board would lose ground fast.

And we were about to prove that, firsthand, when I received a call that another Tiger Shark was trapped in the Nets. I raced to the beach hoping to get out there and rescue the shark. By the time I arrived, another passionate shark lover and team member, Steve Benjamin, had attempted to rescue the shark by cutting her out of the net, but she was already dead. He also had called Sharks Board as is the protocol– who arrived at the same time I did. However, the Sharks Board boat refused to take the shark onto their boat regardless of protocol or constant pleas from Steve to take the Shark. Steve, confused, was not going to leave the shark at sea, so he told me to get ready - he had to bring the shark ashore then re-launch to return to work. Steve is a skipper for Blue Wilderness, run by Mark and Gail Addison – some of the best friends the sharks of South Africa have.

Paul grabbed his camera, as I raced down to the beach to help Steve land. As soon as he approached I saw the two-meter beautiful Tiger Shark lying stiffly on the side of the boat and the anger welled up inside me. Here was a shark no older than a year or two killed by ignorance at a time when her population was already greatly threatened.


Waves broke over me as I tried to wrestle the shark to the beach while holding back the tears welling up inside. I couldn’t help but recall my days at Tiger Beach surrounded by Begonia and Mini-T – sharks just like her. Her rough, lifeless skin scraped my arms and legs raw as I strained to keep her from floating out to sea. No one would help me. While she was a small tiger, she was still quite heavy and I battled to dig my feet deep into the sand with the pouring rain only complicating matters. Mother Nature was weeping no doubt. Finally, another kind Blue Wilderness team member showed up, and together, with a winch, we dragged the shark to higher ground.


There she lay on the sand, a perfect Tiger Shark specimen, her eyes sunken, blood running from her orifices. My fingers traced the tell-tale marks seared into her head – gill nets had strangled her and suffocated to death. Opening her mouth, I saw her small teeth were no bigger than my fingernails and I knew she was too young to have learned the avoidance techniques many older sharks have learned. Ironically, over 40% of sharks are caught on the reverse sides of the nets meaning they have avoided them on the way in, as the nets are not truly effective barriers. And, many of the sharks caught are juveniles – barely old enough to be a threat to squid, let alone bathers on the beach.

Why had another shark been killed here?

I spun around and saw, as I usually do, only the occasional fisherman, person walking on the beach or boater. This area was a launch site for boaters and dive operators – and not a beach that swimmers and bathers used. Yet a net was installed here anyway, keeping the sand and driftwood safe, I suppose.

I spent the next hour fighting with the Sharks Board as I begged for them to take their shark. The shark they killed. They refused. Someone at headquarters had unwittingly instructed them not to touch the shark – though this public display was the exact thing they try and avoid. Seizing the opportunity, I began educating the large crowd that formed about tiger sharks, the nets, and how this the poor little shark had died. As soon as beach goers happened upon the beautiful shark, there was disgust, outrage, frustration and sadness. Never fear. This was the first time they were able to see the results of the nets – seemingly sterile and non-threatening, or so the Sharks Board would have you believe. And instantly, each reached a common consensus: the nets must go. Only one lone fisherman opposed, screaming that this was my fault (many people, and typically fisherman, ignorantly accuse shark divers of killing sharks by interacting with them with bait and thus, making them more apt to attack people) and that the beach needed protection from me and these sharks. “When was the last shark attack on this beach?” I screamed back, furious. He could answer because to date, and well before the nets, there have been NO shark attacks here. Not a single one – bait or no bait.


It wasn’t until the other fisherman arrived, landing their boats after a day at sea that my sadness and anger turned to desperation. They marched up to the shark and started coldly inspecting her fins and jaws – kicking her belly. I knew what they were going to do and I started yelling “You are not taking this shark. Not her fins and not her jaws. You will not touch her.” There were many of them and I began fearing the worst. This magnificent creature was ruthlessly murdered, Sharks Board refused to take any responsibility, and now, the opportunistic fisherman were going to cut her up to take her valuable fins and jaws. “Are you really going to let them do this? The blood is on your conscious.” I screamed at the Sharks Board crew while trying to drag her to safety and fend off the fisherman.

Someone at headquarters finally wised up and realized that what was happening was not doing them any favors and gave the order to remove the shark – just in time. This was the first time they had experienced such a blatant display of anti-nets sentiment to my knowledge, and it took a foreigner and a some passionate, and bold folks from a Tiger Shark dive operation, Blue Wilderness, to do it. This was long overdue – and it was time for someone to stand up against the nets in a real way.

Ironically, I was later informed that the rumors were flying : not only had I reportedly killed the shark to get publicity but that I was also under investigation by Marine Coastal Management for killing a protected animal. And, that I (not to mention the whole team) have been labeled as a vigilante and I better watch my back.

The politics of sharks in South Africa are completely disheartening – nor will I I fall victim to fear mongering and intimidation. Sadly, many of the rumors originated from individuals who are supposed to care about sharks. I guess they care more about getting into the limelight and feeding their egos than making sure no more sharks are killed.

But, we are above politics and care about one thing. So best find a new source of income, Natal Sharks Board, because the people of South Africa and the world are going to choose live sharks over dead ones.

Spotting Sharks Through the Mess of Nets and Drumlines

I was absolutely gutted to hear from my dear friends Mark and Gail Addison that three tiger sharks were caught and killed in the nets off the coast of Aliwal Shoal. I spend my life fighting to save these creatures and their thoughtless and completely purposeless deaths are incredibly disheartening – especially in a country known for shark conservation.

South Africa is a country of extremes. While they have led the world in the protection of white sharks and it is illegal to harm a white shark, they also allow white sharks to be killed every year under the guise that it is required for the safety of its water users. The same is true for Tiger sharks who are a significantly threatened species and are even protected in Aliwal. And while South Africa has one coast protected by barbaric shark nets and drumlines (whose sole purpose is to kill sharks), they have also pioneered a program on another coast that allows sharks and people to peacefully coexist – in the exact same water.

News of dead sharks never comes at a good time, but coincidentally, this news was delivered as I was finishing my latest report for the Underwater Channel – exploring how people and sharks (in this case white sharks) can, and should, share the exact same water.

You see, while whites and tiger sharks are seriously threatened and are protected by many countries, including South Africa, many of these sharks are still killed each year by shark nets and drumlines.

What are shark nets?



Throughout the Eastern Coast of South Africa shark nets and drumlines are installed by Natal Sharks Board. Natal Sharks Board actually has a fishing license, and the purpose of these nets and drumlines are to kill sharks. Years ago, the nets were installed to appease beach users, who were panicked by a string of incidents on the beaches of Durban. Tourism was big money for the folks of KZN, and many lobbied to install nets to keep the sharks away from the beaches to keep the tourists happy. Surely the private organization installing the nets lobbied the hardest. And, ironically, most of these incidents were occurring where whaling stations were located as well (Hmm… dead whales near where people swim. Um, can we really blame the sharks?)

Until I saw them, like most people I think, I assumed shark nets were much like underwater mosquito nets, creating a harmless, and far-reaching barrier between the beach users and the sharks. This could not be further from the truth.

Shark nets are gill nets installed in tiered patterns – not fully extending to either the top or the bottom, and not fully enclosing the beach areas. While tiered, their installation often times seems quite random – and certainly does not enclose a beach. Many sharks are caught on the reverse side of the nets, meaning they have avoided them on the way in. Most are smaller sharks – as the larger ones have learned to avoid the nets. These smaller sharks don’t pose any risk at all – as they are not large enough to consume large fish, let alone humans (as if we were even on their menus.) And, the sharks that are caught tend to be those that are desperately threatened. Not incredibly effective, right?

You have got to hand it to the sharks who avoid the nets… When I swam next to the nets, it was only a few minutes before I managed to get completely entangled. Thankfully I had help nearby, but for a few desperate moments, I understood what it would be like to drown like a panicked shark, snarled in a mess of suffocating netting. I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.

For years, Natal Sharks Boards also finned the sharks they caught, turning a profit while keeping the beaches “safe”. Makes you wonder what the motivations truly are… To date, no one I have spoken to has confirmed this no longer occurs. Believe it or not, you can still attend weekly dissections of sharks – an attempt to show the public their work contributes to science and conservation. And indeed, many leading shark scientists in South Africa reportedly work for Natal Sharks Board.

As if killing the sharks weren’t enough, these nets catch a significant amount of bycatch. Dolphins, turtles, and even baby whales have been caught and killed by these nets. What’s the solution? Well, in Australia … Drumlines. Baited hooks complete with tasty tuna heads sure to draw the attention of the supposedly blood-thirsty and human hunting sharks, right? Sadly, the first part is true and the sharks are often drawn into the bait to meet their untimely and brutal end.

Now Natal Sharks Board has installed drumlines similar to those installed in Australia. These drumlines are targeting even more sharks – particularly protected species, like the White Sharks. And, they are resulting in more shark deaths. One may also wonder why you would attract sharks to the beaches with tuna heads. Yes, it seems odd… Rather than let them be than attract the sharks INTO the beaches with people swimming nearby, no?


In all the madness, there is a solution. A solution called “Shark Spotters”, an NGO that has been operating successfully in Capetown for several years.

Amazingly, in Capetown, THERE ARE NO NETS and NO DRUMLINES! Yes, there is a viable alternative to nets – without killing a single endangered animal. False Bay on the Western Cape of South Africa, is the largest bay in Southern Africa. And, we all know, thanks to several Seal Island/Shark Week episodes (as well as thanks to scientists like Shark Angel Alison) that the white sharks are present in strong numbers. But not only does this bay have one of the highest concentrations of white sharks in the world, it also has the highest concentration of water users.


Shark Spotters is an ingenious program that allows the white sharks and the water users to live in peaceful coexistence – without harm to anyone, including the sharks. Shark Spotters was actually started by a local surfer and shop owner, who wanted to increase the local surf traffic here at Muizenberg beach. These days it is run as a non-profit with sponsorship from many organizations including surf manufacturers, local groups, and international NGOs. And, Shark Angel Alison has just been appointed as the Director of Research for Shark Spotters.

Throughout the Western Cape, Shark Spotters sit high atop the hills flanking the beaches armed with binoculars and radios. Everything they need to “do battle” with the sharks. All day long, the Shark Spotters watch the shoreline looking for white sharks – who are known to frequent the inshore waters especially in the summer time.

When a shark is spotted, which is relatively easy to do given their size and their proximity to the surface, the Shark Spotter in the booth on the hill notifies the Shark Spotter on the beach. Then, the beach Shark Spotter sounds an alarm announcing the shark’s presence and also hoists a black flag with a white shark on it.

It is astounding to see the surfers and swimmers, quite accustomed to the alarms and the sharks, non-chalantly exit the water and await the “all clear” sign. No panic or pandemonium. Just a patient acknowledgement it is us human beings that the sharks are generously sharing their environment with, not the other way around.

Although I dive with them, I decided to put my money where my mouth is, prove I believe in alternatives to Nets and Drumlines, and learn to surf in the same spot that the white sharks are known to patrol. Yes, I often choose to surf in the waters that the white sharks hunt in. And never once have I felt threatened – without the existence of nets or drumlines. The only thing I am worried about is the temperature of the water – a FREEZING ten degrees celcius!

When it comes to sharks, the media feeds the frenzy, convincing the public they need to demand things like nets and drumlines to protect themselves. Not true. Just look at the statistics. During the past 47years, there have been a total of 4 deaths on the Western Cape attributed to White Sharks. That is one person every 12 years. Compare that to the 49 people that died last year due to lightening strikes, the 79 people that died due to hunting accidents and the 20 people that died due to dog bites. Seems like we ought be putting our energy into protecting ourselves from hunters, dogs and lightening – not killing sharks.

I am not by any means claiming to be an expert. Nor would I simply suggest the Capetown model would work in other places, with different types of sharks and topography. But, what I know is that there ARE viable alternatives to shark nets and drumlines and that we cannot keep unnecessarily destroying the very animals that keep our oceans – and us – healthy.


Many people, due to their irrational fears of sharks, think the world would be a better place without them. Sadly, that could not be further from the truth. Sharks sit a top the food chain, keeping our oceans healthy. Removing them would cause severe knock-on effects and would jeopardize our world’s largest and most important ecosystem – an ecosystem that gives us much of the air we breathe and food we eat.

The population of sharks around the world is plummeting, and their outlook is significantly threatened – particularly those targeted by the nets, including Tigers, Bulls and Whites.

Learning how to live with sharks and share THEIR home is so critical to their long-term existence. There is no reason to kill sharks under the guise that it is for our own good – or our own safety.

Instead of fearing these creatures, we should develop a healthy respect and manage the infinitesimal risk getting into the same water with these sharks is – through education, awareness and programs like the Shark Spotters. We cannot afford to kill one more shark unnecessarily – our long term existence depends on them.