Tangled in a Treknet

According to locals, a meeting yesterday between stakeholders in the controversy was held not about whether it was okay to treknet through the lineup, but how to manage the fact that it was going to happen. Representatives from the City of Cape Town, the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; fishermen, local council and the Shark spotters convened.

It turned out that the fishermen possess an official permit to treknet whenever they want. However, this is not just any old time, but only when the lucrative yellowtail (a good yellowtail catch can mean a year's income for many fishermen) are running, a rare occurence that might only happen 2-3 times a year.

It is a 400-year ancestral tradition that when the community fish spotter (a specialised job handed down for generations among the False Bay fishing community) see signs of yellowtail, the treknetters kick into action.

Unfortunately, four or five times they have done this in the last two weeks, animosity has erupted. Ugly scenes between beachgoes and fishermen saw them going head to head with heated verbal exchanges. Recreational users of the beach were appalled as bakkies, boats and nets offloaded among them. Outraged about what they perceived to be illegal activity (no vehicles on the beach, blue flag status compromised, floating nets a danger to bathers and surfers), they confronted the fishermen.  

Surf coach and Muizenberg local Ant Scholte said that it was carnage. "The thing is that no-one knew what was going on. Okes were riding over the net, and whacking fins out. Some were wiping out."

Needless to say, the conflict escalated, and accusations flew from all sides. "The fishermen were getting agressive with the Shark spotters for putting the alarm on, saying that it scared the fish away. The surfers were getting aggressive, saying that it was a recreational area with blue flag beach status, and it was illegal to launch boats. They shouted at the fishermen to go fish at Sunrise Circle."

The fishermen, in turn, became abrasive, aggressive and rude to the point that the Sharkspotters have laid charges against them, Scholte said.  

Things had quietened on the beach front today. "The red flag is up. It's business as usual. A few surf schools are around, but it's crap conditions.

While no marine biologist, and basing it on anecdotal insights by our older brethren who say they hardly ever see treknetting in this area, it would seem that unusual conditions have led to the sudden spike in treknetting at Surfers' Corner. And of course, since the last time the fishermen excersized their right, the surf and coffee culture scene has exploded. Surfers' Corner is a hive of activity.

Of course there was going to be a clash of heads.

Negotiatons have been underway though, and it seems that everyone has realised that sense needs to prevail. Compromise is near. This is a delicate matter. There is a strong argument for both sides, which is why it elicited such an emotive response.

As Scholte outlined, the fishermen have their own spotters, never mind shark spotters looking for one large species of fish. These guys have been doing it their whole lives, and can recognise tens of species. The reason? It puts food on the table. They know exactly what fish they just saw jump out of the sea, and where to target their boats, an amazing skill.

However, word is out that if yellowtail do come into Surfers' Corner, the treknetters will be more careful, and adhere to freshly negotiated protocols. Sure, their permits supercede any other regulations, blue flag or marine protected status. They have the right to drive onto the beach and launch their boats, and to offload their catch and drive off the beach.

But protocal now dictates that they must tell the fisheries deparment, and they must work with the Sharkspotters to sound the alarm to clear the area. As soon as they are gone, bathers and surfers can return to the water. Also, if they do not catch yellowtail, they must catch and release.

Muizenberg beachgoers have a valid point about the attraction of sharks at the time the fisherman are pulling the yellowtail. Of course it is a concern. However, another way to look at it is that sharks eat yellowtail, and when yellowtail are running nearshore, a lot more feeding sharks are going to be cruising inshore, treknetters or not.

It's not a good time to surf anyway.

As Scholte concedes, "I am okay with it. Yes, it was a freakout when it happened. I remain concerned about the shark presence but also recognise that marine events lead to more or less sharks at certain times of the year."

He mentions the youtube clip he saw showing a massive white shark following a bait balled net hauled by fishermen. The primordial fear is hard to suppress when it looms in front of you. It's not an ideal situation, and more needs to be resolved, but surely this is about the rhythm of nature, and how we flow with it?

Locals at J-Bay don't like contests at Supers, but they begrudgingly accept them a few times a year.

Maybe we should apply the same sense of reason that created the Shark Spotters - a world leading attitude to ocean sustainability modelled on the need for us to recognise cycles in nature. Fishing is a natural cycle, and an ancient practice. Surfing at Muizies not so, but it brings in trade, and all sorts of benefits.

How to accommodate both without compromising the other?

I pity the officials who try to convince people to leave the sea when the surf is cranking, and no shark has been spotted.

Cool heads need to prevail though.