Threats to sharks focus for annual paddle

The Paddle Out for Sharks will continue its tradition of highlighting the plight of sharks and other marine life through its annual paddle out event, which is held to celebrate World Oceans Day on 8 June.

This year the event will be held on Sunday, 7 June on Scottburgh beach on the Upper South Coast and on St Michaels beach on the Lower South Coast.

World Oceans Day is an international event and the 2015 theme is ‘healthy oceans, healthy planet’.

“The Paddle Out for Sharks team feels it is essential that sharks are acknowledged for the role they play in maintaining the health of our oceans. The event usually focuses on a current threat to sharks, and this year, organisers would like to focus on shark culling in La Reunion and the persistent issue of shark nets in KwaZulu-Natal,” said Amanda Barratt, one of the Paddle Out For Sharks organisers.

“Shark overfishing is an international problem and shark culling measures are in place in Australia and parts of South Africa.

We would like to gather groups of people and encourage the public to attend, so they can get involved in addressing the problems affecting sharks.”

The Paddle Out for Sharks team at Scottburgh beach will meet past backline at 8am and at 7am at St Michaels on Sunday, 7 June.

For information on the event, visit https://www.facebook.com/paddleout4sharks?fref=ts.