Repairs to fishing hotspot on The Bluff in the pipeline

WHILE the partial collapse of a hotspot for anglers after the recent torrential rain has caused great devastation for the fishing community, there is hope for repairs to get underway soon.

Aveshin Moodley, the public relations officer of Just Angling Durban, a non-profit company, said the walkway, which is situated along Foreshore Drive, near Cave Rock, was used by anglers for both social and subsistence purposes.

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The club is made up of members from The Bluff, Merebank and Wentworth.

“It is a beautiful stretch where we fish from weekly. While some fish socially, there are many subsistence fishermen who come from all across Durban so they can put food on their tables. The walkway was also used by anglers with physical disabilities who could not get down to the sand.

“Furthermore, the walkway is also used by residents for fitness training, and many consider it a safer place to walk due to there being so many anglers present. We also use the walkway for training young anglers and to host inter-club competitions.

“With a major stretch of the walkway now closed, it is a setback for the fishing community. We had intended to host a young anglers clinic in the coming weeks, but we will have to find another safe spot,” he said.

Moodley said the anglers initially noticed the cracks in the walkway more than two years ago.

“It was reported, but nothing was done. If a simple repair had been done at the time, this possibly could have been avoided. It was left to deteriorate, and with the heavy rains and spring tide, this is the result,” he said.

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Zoë Solomon, the Ward 66 councillor, said, “Over the past two years, there was evidence that the Loffelstein blocks beneath the walkway were slowly sinking. I had brought it to the attention of the City and engineers who came out when we started with the upgrade to the beach. Unfortunately, nothing was done, and we saw the collapse of the walkway.

“However, I approached various City departments to see who could assist, and the Parks Department’s response was that they don’t have the money to do the repairs. I approached the Coastal Stormwater and Catchment Management Department and hit the jackpot. They have decided to take on the project. Following a site visit, the work should start soon.

“I am feeling confident and happy that we are getting something done and hopefully very quickly – definitely before December,” she said.

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