Scuba Geek

Diving ban proposed in South Africa to help curb perlemoen poaching May 26, 2006

Posted by Andy Carroll in : Conservation, Travel , trackback

THE Eastern Cape legislature has called for an interim ban on all scuba diving to help authorities curb perlemoen poaching, which has reached “preposterous proportions”.

Reaction to the call has been mixed, as diving companies have questioned whether the ban would work and how effective it would be. From an article in The Herald Online

In a notice of motion unanimously passed by all the political parties in the Bhisho legislature on Tuesday, DA provincial leader Athol Trollip said “scarce, ecologically sensitive marine reserves that are a natural heritage to this province‘s coastline are being irrevocably destroyed in complete contempt of all existing legislation and policing initiatives”.

However, Ocean Divers International owner Leslie Boshoff said the legislature didn‘t know what it was doing. “The sports diving industry has no bearing on the poaching industry. We don‘t even dive in the same water as they do. We dive in waters between 12m and 40m, and they dive in waters between zero and 7m because perlemoen can only live in shallow water,” he said.

Mike Klee, of Mike‘s Dive Shop in Central, said he was “gob- smacked” by the proposal.

“Many legitimate divers will just stop diving because it will become too much of a hassle to apply for this permit, so they will stop diving and the shops and tour operators who rely on their trade will be hit.

“Also, creating these restrictions will not stop the poaching. There are many poachers out there without records. What‘s to stop them getting a permit?”

But Louis van Aardt, owner of Pro Dive in Port Elizabeth, said he was in favour of the proposal, as long as legitimate divers were not stopped from diving.

“I am very keen on conservation, and we need control – as long as they don‘t try to stop everyone from diving. We need to work together on this thing.”