Cape Town may get shark nets at some beaches to protect swimmers against shark attacks.
This is one of the recommendations of a major report released on Thursday designed to increase the safety of people using the sea around the Peninsula, while keeping the impact on endangered Great White sharks to a minimum.
But the nets proposed for Cape Town beaches are not the same as the killer nets used in KwaZulu-Natal, which are designed to capture sharks and which also kill dolphins, whales, turtles and other marine species that become entangled in them.
The nets proposed for selected local beaches are known as "exclusion nets" which have a small mesh and act as a fence between swimmers and sharks, but do not kill sharks or other marine creatures.
Exclusion nets can be used only in calm areas inside the surf zone, so would protect bathers, but not surfers, kayakers or divers.
Proposals are that exclusion nets are feasible for Fish Hoek, Gordon's Bay and Simon's Town.
This proposal is contained in a report, Finding a Balance, which summarises the findings of a workshop held in May this year attended by shark experts, recreational safety specialists and representatives of the authorities to look at shark attacks which were "shrouded in myths and misinformation". It was co-ordinated by the local branch of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
The public will have an opportunity to comment on the proposals.
Another major proposal is to extend the successful shark spotter programme, which operates at Muizenberg, Fish Hoek and St James, to Mnandi, Monwabisi, Blue Waters, Strand, The Hoek at Noordhoek and Long Beach in Kommetjie.
Sharks evoked intense emotions in many people
The workshop found that although the incidence of shark attacks was very low, there had been a gradual increase in attacks in the Western Cape in the last 50 years. An analysis of documented attacks revealed no obvious cause for this. However, there had been a large increase in the number of people using the water, and hi-tech wetsuits had enabled people to stay in the water for much longer. Spearfishing and surfing appeared to carry the highest risk.
The workshop found there was no evidence to link shark cage diving to a risk of shark attacks in False Bay.
It strongly opposed the deliberate feeding of sharks which it said could result in conditioning of the animals, and which was in contravention of the shark diving operation regulations.
The workshop found that the shark nets used by the Natal Sharks Board would not be effective in reducing shark attacks in False Bay because of the migratory nature of Great White sharks. Those killed would be replaced by others. These nets do not act as a barrier between bathers and sharks, but are designed to entangle and kill sharks.
Unlike exclusion nets, these capture nets would also entangle Southern Right whales, seals, dolphins and other animals, which would result in a slow death for these creatures.
Deon Nel of WWF said at a briefing on Thursday that sharks evoked intense emotions in many people, especially those people who loved the ocean or used it for recreation or to earn a living.
He said the workshop earlier this year had brought together the most knowledgeable experts on sharks, who had reviewed the existing information and had come up with a list of recommendations for a practical way of dealing with the issue of shark attacks, based on science and not on conjecture.
"Based on that workshop, we've put together a draft policy. The next phase is for the public to comment on it and then to combine this into a strategy," Nel said.
The experts had looked at shark biology and ecology, shark attack statistics, what was causing the apparent increase in attacks, what sort of mitigatory measures were feasible, recreational trends, shark management and emergency response.
"This report is a resource to assist government and the public," Nel said.
Greg Oelofse, the city's representative on the Shark Working Group, said on Thursday the draft policy was based on five themes: mitigating shark attacks, enforcement and compliance of regulations, effective emergency response, research, education and awareness.
"We believe these are the best available options for Cape Town now, and we will alter the strategy as more information becomes available," Oelofse said.
