Yesterday, 29 Feb 2012, the City of Cape Town issued a press release of a proposal to trial an exclusion net in Fish Hoek Bay (http://sharkspotters.org.za/media-release-city-to-consider-a-proposed-trial-installation-of-a-shark-exclusion-net-for-fish-hoek-beach). Almost immediately shark nets (as used in KwaZulu Natal) were confused with the proposal of the exclusion net in Fish Hoek. Below is a summary of the key differences. Please post your view of what you think of the City’s idea on our Facebook page and we will be sure to feed it back to the authorities.
| Shark net | Exclusion net | |
| What are they? | Shark nets are large-meshed, anchored gill nets | Exclusion nets are fine-meshed nets and are not gill nets |
| How do they work? | Entangle and catch sharks reducing the population and numbers of sharks within the environment and thereby reducing the risk of shark attack | Fine meshed nets are designed to act as a barrier, physically excluding sharks, thereby preventing them from entering an enclosed area |
| Layout and structure | Nets are 213.5 – 304.8 m long by 6.3 m deep, have a black mesh of 51 cm (stretched) and are set parallel to the coast in 10-14 m of water some 300-500 m from shore. | Net is set to enclose a specified area, and stretches from the seafloor to the surface. Mesh size is 6cm stretched (3cm x 3cm on the square). Size of net is dependent on area to be enclosed. |
| Entanglements of marine animals | Not selective and result in by-catch of a range of other marine species such as turtles, dolphins, and whales. Risk of entanglement high | The fine mesh of the nets prevents capture or entanglement of marine species and the net acts as a barrier. Risk of entanglement low. |
| Ecological impact | High | Low |
| Areas where used | KZN (South Africa), Australia | Hong Kong, Seychelles |
| Additional information | http://www.shark.co.za/SharkNetshttp://www.advancednets.com.au/shark-exclusion.htmlhttp://sharkspotters.org.za/information/finding-a-balance | |
One of the proposed layouts of an exclusion net in Fish Hoek (Courtesy City of Cape Town: media@capetown.gov.za)
One of the proposed layouts of an exclusion net in Fish Hoek (Courtesy City of Cape Town: media@capetown.gov.za)
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I am horrified at the comments I am reading, we do not need nets!!! If you want to swim in the ocean take your chances just the same way you do every time you get in a car or cross the road, low environmental impact my arse! The sharks have every right to the ocean its their habitat but our pleasure is more important???
Your ignorance is frightening!
NO TO THE NETS
sorry the G/W is a killer we are the top race and must protect oure selves, so to do this we will put up a net. end of story.
Great – long time coming – area should be larger
This is so city of cape town, allways takes for ever to do no starf or on holiday, get the nets up for goodnes sake.
This is indeed very good news. The Hong Kong type exlusion netting is ideally suited for applications where small spilling waves are the norm. The top section normally has a square mesh (not diamond) of 35mm for the first 2m and then 100mm down to the seabed. It floats with the tide and is well anchored at the bottom. Looking at the proposed area my feeling is that it will not at all affect the local Seine fishermen.
This is presently the only answer while we wait for the array design of the non-contact shark impulse barrier concept.
At least we can now swim every morning (or throughout the day) in deeper water than waist deep even though the intention is to only deploy it for a few months of a year.
One would have preferred if the proposal would have covered a 250m stretch of beach (and not just 140m). However, we understand the kelp problem and look forward to the experimetal installation!
We would recommend at least 6 months per year – October to March.
Recover the costs with a charge of R20 .00 to use the protected swim area. If nparks can charge R40.00 to use bolders beach so can Fish hoek
The Council has been raking in the parking money for many years. Unfortunately it goes into the central coffers and not to the local ward for this kind of expenditure.
Fish Hoek Surf Lifesaving Club letter explains the rationale and history behind the proposed shark exclusion nets for Fish Hoek Beach and asks for all those who love swimming at Fish Hoek Beach to support the project. For detailed info about the nets go to http://www.scenicsouth.co.za/2012/03/shark-net-barrier-for-fish-hoek-letter-from-lifesavers/
Best news yet , Please make the net longer ,to the lighthouse thank you
Fantastic news , have swam at fish hoek from the age of 5, now 73 years old ,but have not swam for last 5 years ,due to shark attacks, again thank you , please make the area larger .
What is the estimated cost?
If it was installed when it was first proposed by the KZN Shark Board in 2006, the cost would have been around R500k. My estimate is (City of Cape Town can obviously tell us what the have budgeted)that it would cost between R1,0 and R1,5 million.
The cost estimate was HK$500k in 2006. I would think that this has at least doubled in the meantime (HK$1.00 = basically ZAR1.00). However, only the City of Cape Town can tell us the budgeted figure/s because they most probably will have two nets/or sections to swop out.