SANParks.org Forums

Hello to everybody.

My name is Shane and I am a Tag and Release Fisherman from Uvongo, KZN.

Every year, I am forced to watch how hordes of people descend on our fishing spot and poach tens of thousands of undersized shad, Reef Fish and Game Fish.

I say poach, because when the inspectors make their 2 minute appearance per day, most of them drop their rods and pretend that they are just standing around.

If we say something to them about their undersized fish or that they are exceeding their bag limits, they literally threaten us with our lives.

Sadly, calls to the anti poaching line go unanswered most of the time, as do calls to Emvelo - and it is plainly obvious that 5 officers deployed between Port Edward and Port Shepstone is insufficient. They strategies are also grossly inappropriate.

I am considering joining the Honoury Rangers and volunteering to patrol the popular fishing spots in my area and check for compliance to size and bag limits as well as cleanliness.

I have much to offer in terms of man-hours, commitment and strategy. I am somebody that believes in horses-for-courses and I wish to concentrate on the issues that I have discussed.

Is this an appropriate organisation for me to join, to further my agenda of protecting the marine life and environment in my area.

Warmest Regards - Shane

Shane a very, very warm welcome to you. It is so refreshing to encounter such a sense of responsibility and desire to do something active.

I am sure that you will get lots of advice and someone who can set you in the right direction. I am not an HR myself, but I have a great regard for their contributions.

Hi Shane and welcome.....beware of addiction!

I suggest you use the link on the left to get the contact details of the KZN HR region and then talk to them. They will be able to advise you best on activities in the region and how you could be involved.

Hi Shane, unfortunately KZN does not fall under the umbrella of SANParks,(They think they are still a Union ) So as an HR you would not be able to do something to those fisherman.

I suggest you enroll/contact the "Green Scorpions" & ask them what you can do. It will take a bit of study & time(But you said you have the time) to qualify, but then you can really get with them.

BTW, welcome to this forum from a fellow nature lover.

Hi Everybody,

Thanks so much for your friendly welcome and advise.

There is a group of fishermen down here who are all prepared to volunteer and take shifts on weekends to monitor compliance.

The situation is out of hand. The other day I stopped a guy from filleting a 10cm shad, whilst it was still alive. He wanted to use it as bait to catch another fish. His reply was that he always does it like this and that I must stay out of his business if I know what is good for me.

He was with a group of 12 guys who arrived in a pack. They were drinking and very aggressive. I was even considering letting them assault me, so that I could call the cops - but that was a dumb idea as they would probably have stabbed me.

I can take my firearm fishing, but that kind of spoils the point of being in nature and having (responsible) fun.

How do I contact the Green Scorpions, does anybody have a contact number - or a contact in KZN Wildlife.

Thanks again - Shane

Will PM you the name of a fellow forumite that is following this route.

Much appreciated.

Did you add Craigh to that PM? He is a KZN HR. (In Australia at this moment, but often on the internet.)

Sorry DQ, will do if you have not yet.

One day the KZN parks will come out the colony. I dream

Hi Shane.

Welcome to the forum.

I am so pleased to see that there still are fishermen that care for our Marine creatures.

This is what my experience was.

I used to be a member of the Transvaal Anglers Union, we noticed that there were insufficient Law Enforcement Officers and of course we also had the Protection of our Fauna and Flora in mind, we made contact with the Department of Nature Conservation and after a few discussions with the then Director of Transvaal Nature Conervation, Dr. Piet Mulder agreed that some of our members could go on a Nature Conservation Course.

The members were selected from the whole of the Transvaal Province and we attended lectures and training sessions with Zoololgists, Botanists and members of the Law Enforcement Section.

After the training we wrote an examination both written and on interview, those of us who were succesful were then appointed as Honorary Nature Conservation Officers and issued with the famous blue card indicating one's appointment, as well as green and gold bar with the wording "ERE-NATUURBEWARINGSBEAMPTE/ HONORARY NATURE CONSERVATION OFFICER" thereon.

We had powers of seizure and arrest and of course also did quite a lot in educating others about what we had learnt.

Appointments were for a three year period and of course were renewable.

My suggestion to you is that you form an Angling Club and then affiliate with the KZN Natal Anglers Union and then through that affiliation approach the Nature Conservation authorities about the situation and your concerns. Also then offer your services to them, similiar to what we had done here in the old Transvaal.

Unfortunately what I have written above about what had happened in the old Transvaal, alos died with the old Transvaal.

Please keep in touch.

I haven't yet Scipio, so if you could include him...?

It would be extremely nice if these two organisations sort of merge...
Planning a trip which contains some KZN parks here, and if I had been a normal tourist I would be at finding information, booking etc...

Will do,

Maybe you will find more info in the NatGeo place in the UK on Natal Parks.

But seriously, & sorry for the hijack, I have a very special book that follows conservation in SA as a whole from the first laws prohibiting white settlers from leaving Cape of Good hope to hunt till the Sanparks & Natal Parks as it stands now.

Some interesting fact on why they are two seperate organisations.

Hi ShanesFishing,

Please do as Ecojunkie suggested and also contact the KZN region of the HRs. The HRs do not only do work in SANParks - there are regions that help out in other areas of conservation at times. I will PM you the right person at the KZN region to contact.

Thanks very much, I just got the email and am excited to follow it up.

All of you and especially ShanesFishing, you cannot imagine what a wonderful feeling it gave me to read these posts. There are lots of persons who care, but not so many who are ready to actually spend time (and maybe money) to do something tangible about the things that are not looked after properly by the ones who have the actual responsability.

My compliments