Overfishing of sharks another threat to livelihoods

The Democratic Alliance in the Western Cape is exceptionally concerned at the lack of regulations implemented by national government within the shark fishing industry. Recent reports highlight a decline in great white shark numbers, with none being spotted in False Bay in the last two years. This has a significant impact on the provincial tourism industry as well as a devastating environmental impact.

In the absence of applied regulations, the problem will only worsen, leading to a loss of jobs and industry and environmental consequences.

Andricus van der Westhuizen, MPP says: “A contributing factor to the drastic decline in shark population has been the fishing of sharks to supply the Australian market. A limit was proposed in 2011, gazetted in 2015, but alarmingly still not implemented by national government. This is incredibly serious as it threatens to decimate shark populations which will have dire consequences on our environmental biodiversity and on the Western Cape’s provincial economy.”

The great white shark segment of tourism provides hundreds of jobs and contributes R1 billion to the industry. The fishing of sharks, on the other hand, generates just R15 million and carries the cost of putting businesses and individuals out of work. The cost to conservation efforts is also untold.

The national Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has provided a limit on how many sharks can be caught but this number has been greatly overfished. With national Fisheries being split between two government ministries until recently, the drafting of a regulatory framework was hampered.

MPP van der Westhuizen adds: “Bottom longline fishing can bring in up to 1 000 sharks per day. Such excessive fishing has huge implications for the sustainability of our oceans and great white tourism. Shark fishing which is currently permitted must be monitored and inspected, especially, within the export sector to prevent its looming extinction.”

There is evidence that various species of shark have been caught in protected marine areas such as De Hoop Marine Reserve. Unfortunately, little to no action has been taken against the perpetrators.

MPP van der Westhuizen comments: “I have today written to the national Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Ms Barbara Creecy, requesting clarity from her ministry on the latest developments to regulate the fishing of sharks so as to conserve our wildlife and protect industries. This issue has a tremendous impact on the Western Cape, where livelihoods in the tourism sector are at stake.”

The DA in the Western Cape will continue to lobby for the protection and preservation of all species in our oceanic environment and our marine resources.