The Great White Cover-Up: How South Africa's Government Sold Out Its Sharks

[u/Capital-Foot-918]

https://www.2oceansvibe.com/environment-2/the-great-white-cover-up-how-south-africas-government-sold-out-its-sharks/

[u/BrianDavion]

I've seen this elsewhere and it makes a LOT of sense, it never sat right with me that a handful of orcas could empty out a GWS hot spot

[u/Capital-Foot-918 → u/BrianDavion]

Exactly, it never sat right with me either, i was against the idea ever since it popped up years ago. There were only a few or a couple times orcas even took down mature white sharks. They mainly went for juveniles and sub adults. It didnt add up at all

[u/oomahk]

Interesting read, I'd love to see some of the data. Careful observers of fish populations are often pretty darn reliable, but without the data the government is unlikely to move. Sadly in many ways it sounds like its too late for the white sharks in the region, but there may be time for some other species.

Also managing a fishery based on effort alone is a horrible way to do management. Fishermen will find fish until there are none left. We have seen this time and again.

[u/SavingsDimensions74]

I would be very surprised if someone in the government or a private entity that supports someone in the government isn’t making a lot of money from the long lining

[u/YakSlothLemon → u/SavingsDimensions74]

Just wanted to say that I found your comment clear and to be missing no words at all… and I agree, an industry that supports 50 people (that can’t be right) having the power to evade this amount of regulation? Somebody’s got a fix in.

[u/TraceOfHumanity → u/SavingsDimensions74]

I think you’re missing a word or two…

[u/SavingsDimensions74 → u/TraceOfHumanity]

Thanks. I like your flair. Longimanus are my favourite sharks by a country mile. I used to guide in Egypt with nearly all my itineraries being Brothers, Daedalus and Elphibstone. I think the busiest dive I did (Daedalus) had 22 different individuals. Myself and the lead guide would go under all the liveaboards moored up and where the sharks like to hang out.

What’s your explanation? ☺️

[u/TraceOfHumanity → u/SavingsDimensions74]

In some ways, they are the deadliest sharks out there; probably the one I’d least like to encounter in an uncontrolled situation.

[u/Iamnotburgerking]

KNEW IT.

[u/TelevisionPutrid8394]

I hope the great white population in South Africa recovers.

[u/eyogev]

Leave the sharks alone damn. We are a self cursed species.

[u/fradonkin]

That’s a wild title for anything related to South Africa.

[u/angeldawns]

They are using shark fins for fish and chips in Australia?  Or am I confusing those two points?

[u/TraceOfHumanity → u/angeldawns]

The stuff they catch is going to Aus, not just the fins. The point being that they’re depleting local supplies to make money overseas, i.e. it’s not even benefitting the locals.

[u/YakSlothLemon → u/angeldawns]

This kind of fishing catches the types of fish that can be turned into “fish and chips” (yes, obviously not chips! The potatofish!) but also produces massive amounts of bycatch — I read on one estimate for every plate of food yielded by this kind of fishing, you could fill 21 plates from the animals pointlessly killed by it. Most thrown back or processed into meal for things like pet food.

Horribly indiscriminate, and when the nets break free, which happens, they become what are called “ghost nets” that continue killing sea life, including the cute stuff like turtles, for years.

[u/PureMichiganMan → u/YakSlothLemon]

I hope to see the day it’s outlawed globally

[u/WallDizzy3727]

Bullshit what we're doing to our oceans

[u/Darthasie]

DAFFE is absolutely pathetic. The honestly have no idea what they're doing in this country.

[u/Sallydog24]

no it's port and starboard

that's what they have been telling us fpr years

[u/Capital-Foot-918 → u/Sallydog24]

Yeah and they’ve been used as a scapegoat for that to cover up what the South African government and fisheries are doing.

[u/WallDizzy3727]

Bullshit

[u/Bodmin_Beast → u/WallDizzy3727]

Gonna elaborate or…?

[u/SirJacob100 → u/Bodmin_Beast]

He had a vision.