Cheryl-Samantha Owen

Having returned earlier this month from the warm waters off South Africa’s east coast to photograph my favorite shark, the tiger shark, at the Aliwal Shoal Marine Protected Area (MPA) the news from Mark and Gail Addison of Blue Wilderness Dive Expeditions (who first introduced me to these sharks) that an educated young fishermen had just caught and killed three tiger sharks struck a devastating chord.

A new report recently published in the journal Science states that only about 4% of the world’s oceans remain undamaged by human activity. Fishing, pollution and climate change are cited as major factors in exacting a heavy toll from almost half our ocean waters. Sadly, even protected waters are not immune to man’s insatiable appetite for destruction and due to a lack of enforcement South Africa’s marine protected areas are no exception. These magnificent sharks were caught, killed, dismembered and landed openly within the sanctuary of the Aliwal Shoal MPA in broad daylight.

One of five sharks afforded protection (including the Great Whites, Ragged Tooth, Tiger, Zambezi, and Whale Sharks), it is illegal to catch tiger sharks within the Aliwal Shoal MPA, and within the entirety of South African waters it is illegal to return to the beach with anything less than a whole shark. These killings have blatantly flouted the MPA regulations and stress the need to ensure that the government supports the protection they have already put in place by policing and enforcing the legislation.

Tiger sharks are the main attraction for thousands of tourists who travel across the world for the opportunity to dive or snorkel the shoal to see these sharks. This non-consumptive use of tiger sharks was started ten years ago by Mark Addison and is currently being offered to clients by some 14 operators. One dead tiger shark might fetch a once off payment of no more than $50-100 dollars for the fisherman, but alive that same shark might be worth in excess of $10 000 every year in the marine eco-tourism arena. Shark diving tourism at Aliwal shoal is a good example of a sustainable activity that utilizes our ocean resources in a non-consumptive manner and in the process creates much needed employment for hundreds of people in the tourism and hospitality industry along this section of South Africa's coast.

Further research revealing the sobering news that five other tiger sharks were killed the week before questions how many tigers sharks have been killed in total by these unscrupulous fishermen determined to flout the law. Approximately 100 million sharks are removed from the world’s oceans each year, surely South Africa must do all it can to save the sharks within its waters, especially those within its MPAs. Clearly government, NGO’s and tourism operators must combine forces to stop this travesty and save one of the world’s last shark paradises.  

Freediving ... not fishing ... 

Cameras.... not hooks!