More Thoughts on...

The South African Parks Board.

...or more precisely, the Department of Marine and Coastal Management (MCM) as they are known these days.

A little more than a year ago, the MCM instituted a Fishing Permit system, where all anglers had to have a fishing licence to enable them to throw pieces of fish into the sea to enable them to catch bigger fish.

Naturally, it was met with scepticism and, in some circles, ridicule and anger. Anglers are people too and know how inept the government has been to date with regards to such means of policing. And, of course, it was seen as another money-spinning (pardon the fishing reference) scheme by a government who have thought up just about every other way to tax its people. We're all too aware of how money seems to disappear when it gets to the government, but if the money was to be used on actual conservation and not just paying Marthinus "Kortbroek" Van Schalkwyk's over-inflated salary, it may not be too hard to accept.

If I remember correctly, my latest licence cost around R60 for the year. If you're fishing every other weekend, it's not too bad, but us inland anglers find it a little hard to swallow seeing as we aren't able to fish as regularly.

Now, the reason I bring out these thoughts, was because we saw one of the aforementioned MCM members checking for licences last Saturday morning. It was around 7am in the morning and there were only about a dozen anglers on the stretch of beach that we could see. The "man" checked everyone and even had a couple of guys scurrying home for the licences while he looked after their tackle, just in case they didn't come back. We also heard later that he had a couple of guys, who didn't have licences, appear in court to face a fine of R200 each, as well as having their tackle confiscated (I wonder where that'll end up?).

Now what's wrong with all that, I hear you ask? Actually, nothing. If I'm paying for my licence cos it's the lawful thing to do, then those that don't have licences should buy a licence or face the consequences.

What is wrong is that, just 100m further down the beach, were half a dozen "locals", black guys (some with tackle as good as mine, wonder where they got that?) that were catching and keeping very undersized fish, stripping mussels and octopus off the rocks...and the MCM guy did not even go down to that part of the beach. He turned around and went back the way he came.

I purposely sat between the man and the locals, to see if he would go that far down the beach and to make sure that he could actually see them from where he stopped...and he could so that is no reason for his inaction. Perhaps he knew that he would be intimidated, or worse attacked, by the locals (all anglers carry knives), I don't know.

I would put money on it that none of the locals had a licence, so, again the method of policing our shorelines is rendered ineffective. The locals have been known to strip a piece of beach clean over a very short period of time, booth here in SA and in Mozambique where some once pristine beaches are now under serious threat of long-term damage. In Kosi Bay recently, the local MCM guys knew that this would happen and to prove a point, reserved a piece of beach that only the locals were allowed to frequent and use to whatever means they want. What is apparent, is that a piece of beach cannot sustain a very large population or even, in the case of Kosi Bay, a very small population and most of the rocks and beach are stripped bare. There is also a higher than usual amount of pollution littering the reserved area.

So...there's a few problems to be addressed here...

(1) Local lack of concern for their environment - this is going to be a problem here for a long time to come. Locals have a shitty attitude towards things in general, and beach conservation is no different. If Kosi Bay is to be an example of the damage done to the environment, then education needs to be made available to locals around the country so that the problem doesn't become totally out of control, and methods to rejuvenate Kosi Bay need to be implemented too. Kosi Bay is a site known around the world for its breeding beaches for turtles.

(2) Lack of proper policing - MCM officials should not be wandering around the beaches on their own. They should be moving in pairs or more, which will allow a certain measure of safety in numbers and, if one of them gets into trouble, allow for backup to be called to resolve the situation. Also, MCM officials should police the entire stretch of beach under their jurisdiction, as it is no good if they only restrict their efforts to specific pieces of beach. Eventually the locals will get to know where the MCM stops policing the beaches and restrict their activities to those areas for a while. Once those areas are stripped bare, however, the locals will be up in arms pleading that they are subsistence fishermen and they aren't allowed to make a living. SORRY...this is not a reason...there is no such thing as a subsistence fisherman fishing from a beach...he would not catch enough to survive, and almost certainly has a job (even part time) to make money for other expenses.

(3) A proper licencing system - we have to get away from the punitive systems that are put in by inept government agencies who don't have a clue of what they're doing. Yes, have the current licencing system; it brings in revenue for the MCM. BUT...instead of just confiscating tackle and heading straight for the courts, give the MCM officials on the beaches a licence book (make it a different size or colour to the normal A4 licence). Allow the licence to be valid for only one day. Charge R50 for the licence (yes, it's expensive for one day, but the alternative is court and fine, and confiscation...way more expensive). If the offender can't pay the R50, then confiscate his tackle and get him to court to face the music.


These problems aren't difficult to overcome, we only need the MCM to listen to the public for constructive suggestions (like mine hopefully are) and we need the locals to start giving a damn before it's too late...

I'll be sending a note to the MCM with my comments and suggestions, but I won't be holding my breath to see if I even get a reply, let alone see some positive changes in the way they do things...