Calls to kill the SA GW that took the life of a swimmer.

[Greatwhite70]

Emotions are running high after a shark killed an elderly woman in the Fish Hoek bay on Monday morning, and calls for the shark to be killed and for shark nets at swimming spots are on the rise.

But Marine and Coastal management (MCM) said it would not hunt down the shark that killed 77-year-old Tyna Webb because it could not be sure of killing the same animal.

MCM is also unlikely to put up shark nets in False Bay, which experts have described as expensive death traps for large numbers of sea creatures.

Robin Carlisle, environment spokesperson for the Democratic Alliance, said in a statement that shark nets were "the most obvious consideration" in protecting swimmers from sharks.


'Reduce to acceptable levels the risk of swimming in our seas'
"The provincial and municipal authorities must now decide upon a policy that will reduce to acceptable levels the risk of swimming in our seas," he said.

Clive Wakeford, president of Fish Hoek Lifesaving, told the media on Monday that the shark should be killed. He has since retracted this, and said on Tuesday that Fish Hoek Lifesaving has written to ask MCM to investigate ways of making swimming more safe.

He added that Fish Hoek lifesavers would be "extra vigilant" following the attack and swimmers would be called out of the water if a shark was spotted.

Many people have phoned radio show hosts and written letters to MCM saying that the shark should be killed.

Isabelle Spies, one of Tyna's daughters, said that "a revenge attack would be the last thing that my mom, who was such a gentle person, would want".

"She said that she respected the shark's dominion, that when she went swimming she knew she was entering their domain. My mom's wishes should be respected. She was the person who was attacked, after all."

"A fatal attack is such a rare thing. More important than killing the shark, there should be a look at why there have been more attacks recently."

Geremy Cliff, head of research for the Natal Sharks Board, said it cost R1-million annually to maintain the shark nets at Amanzimtoti. The nets caught around 60 dolphins, 60 turtles, 200 rays and 600 sharks each year. Most of these animals died before they could be freed.

To protect swimmers in False Bay, options including warning signs about sharks, aircraft patrols and a physical enclosure for swimmers could be investigated, he said.

Nan Rice, of the Dolphin Action and Protection Group, said shark nets had upset the ecological balance in the KwaZulu-Natal seas, with dusky sharks proliferating and some fish populations declining: "They would upset the whole ecosystem of False Bay."

[GWS_Lover019]

No, they shouldn't put up signs and stuff cuz someone died if she died it was gods intentions okay there's my responds you got a problem e-mail me @ [email protected] okay