A notice at a beach protected by the Board
The KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board (KZNSB), previously the Natal Sharks Board and Natal Anti-Shark Measures Board is an organisation that maintains a "shark control" program (using
shark net
A shark net is a submerged section of gillnets placed at beaches designed to intercept large marine animals including sharks, with the aim to reduce the likelihood of shark attacks on swimmers. Shark nets used are gillnets which is a wall of net ...
s and
drum lines
A drum line is an unmanned aquatic trap used to lure and capture large sharks using baited hooks. They are typically deployed near popular swimming beaches with the intention of reducing the number of sharks in the vicinity and therefore the prob ...
) off the coast of
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN and known as "the garden province") is a province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu) and Natal Province were merged. It is locate ...
Province,
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
, at 37 places. The purpose of the nets and drum lines is to reduce the number of
shark attack
A shark attack is an attack on a human by a shark. Every year, around 80 unprovoked attacks are reported worldwide. Despite their rarity, many people fear shark attacks after occasional serial attacks, such as the Jersey Shore shark attacks of ...
s. It was founded as a statutory body in 1962, when the city of
Durban
Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...
's netting operations were extended to other parts of the coast in the then
Natal Province
The Province of Natal (), commonly called Natal, was a province of South Africa from May 1910 until May 1994. Its capital was Pietermaritzburg. During this period rural areas inhabited by the black African population of Natal were organized into ...
. It is headquartered in
uMhlanga, north of Durban.
The KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board displays sharks that they have killed as part of shows.
[https://www.places.co.za/html/sharksboard.html SA Places. Natal Sharks Board. Retrieved December 2, 2018.]
The "shark control" program that the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board (KZNSB) operates has been called a
shark cull.
In a 30-year period, more than 33,000 sharks have been killed in the KZNSB's shark-killing program — during the same 30-year period, 2,211 turtles, 8,448 rays, and 2,310 dolphins were killed.
Although shark species such as the
great white shark
The great white shark (''Carcharodon carcharias''), also known as the white shark, white pointer, or simply great white, is a species of large mackerel shark which can be found in the coastal surface waters of all the major oceans. It is nota ...
are protected in
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
, the KZNSB is allowed to kill these sharks (an exception was made for them).
The KZNSB has installed
shark nets
A shark net is a submerged section of gillnets placed at beaches designed to intercept large marine animals including sharks, with the aim to reduce the likelihood of shark attacks on swimmers. Shark nets used are gillnets which is a wall of ne ...
in Marine Protected Areas, and those nets kill animals.
The current KZNSB "shark control" program has been criticized by environmentalists, and has been called "archaic" and "disastrous to the ecosystem".
[http://www.sharkangels.org/index.php/media/news/157-shark-nets "Shark Nets". sharkangels.org. Retrieved December 2, 2018.] Jane Williamson, an associate professor in marine ecology at Macquarie University, says "There is no scientific support for the concept that culling sharks in a particular area will lead to a decrease in shark attacks and increase ocean safety."
[https://theconversation.com/mike-baird-is-right-culling-sharks-doesnt-work-heres-what-we-can-do-instead-46195 Theconversation.com. "Mike Baird is right, culling sharks doesn’t work – here’s what we can do instead." Jane Williamson. August 17, 2015. Retrieved November 20, 2018.]
See also
*
Black December
Black December refers to at least nine shark attacks on humans causing six deaths that occurred along the coast of Natal Province in the Union of South Africa, from December 18, 1957 to April 5, 1958.
Perfect storm
In December 1957 several key fac ...
References
{{reflist
External links
Homepage
Shark attack prevention
