JOHANNESBURG - That’s the phrase renowned Winklespruit shark expert, Andy Cobb coined to raise awareness of the importance of shark conservation.

Cobb has blasted the practice of shark feeding and thrown his weight behind the campaign to get the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board (KZNSB) to remove shark nets and drumlines.

‘‘They should have been removed in 1986 when Dr Leonard Compagno found no risk of a shark attack off the KZN coast,’’ said Cobb.

Activists believe nets and drumlines only act as fishing devices that kill to reduce human-shark encounters and offer no protection to humans. Nets and drumlines also catch and kill species of sharks not dangerous to man, and other marine life.

The campaign received much publicity recently when over 120 marine life activists participated in a paddle-out at Scottburgh Beach in May after 14 tiger sharks were killed in nets. Cobb is an internationally recognised shark expert who has logged 900 underwater hours with sharks.

After a spate of attacks in Durban between 1943 and 1951, the KZNSB followed Australia and installed shark nets.

‘‘They wiped out the Natal swordfish when used along our coast and the kill rate of Indian bottlenose dolphin was higher than their reproduction rate,’’ said Cobb.

According to Cobb, the nets were killing 1 000 sharks a year in the 1990s. ‘‘In one night during the Sardine Run 90 sharks and 20 dolphins were caught in the Margate nets’’.
That prompted Cobb to get the KZNSB to lift the nets during the Sardine Run.

Another practice he is set against is dive operators feeding sharks or ‘‘chumming’’, throwing fish parts and blood into the sea, to attract them to give divers the opportunity to swim with them.

‘‘This is a money-making racket. Operators who take divers out need to have a level 4 tourism guiding certification.

“Many are operating illegally as they are not registered and accredited guides. The public needs to be educated and they need to learn the rules when swimming in the ocean.’’

These include keeping baiting and chumming at least three kilometres from shore, not to de-gut on the backline before beaching, not to swim in the late afternoons, early mornings or at night, not to swim in estuaries during the rainy season and not to swim with your dog, as its rapid swimming movement simulates stress.

The KZNSB has hit back, insisting claims that shark nets do not protect the public are based on a misunderstanding of how the nets work.

‘‘Shark nets do protect the public, and have done so effectively for many years, but they do so by fishing for potentially dangerous sharks (primarily Zambezi sharks) in the vicinity of the protected beaches,” Debbie Hargreaves, KZNSB public relations officer and education manager said.

The following figures supplied by the KZNSB apply only to attacks that resulted either in a fatality or a serious injury (such as the loss of a limb): ‘‘From the 1940s to early 60s, there were 37 attacks (23 fatal, 14 with serious injury) in KZN before nets were installed.

From the early 1960s until today (about 50 years), there have been no fatal attacks and just four with serious injuries at KZN’s protected beaches where shark nets were installed.

Hargreaves insisted the KZNSB protects the tourism industry by protecting the public. ‘‘Beach tourism is a major source of employment in KZN and shark attacks have a negative effect on beach tourism’’.

She said live sharks caught in the nets are released and, where possible, tagged. ‘‘Badly decomposed sharks are discarded at sea’’.

‘‘Dead sharks in good condition are brought ashore to be dissected for research and education purposes.

All catches are documented.’’ – CNS.