Department of environmental affairs suspends Ocearch-Sharkmen research project
20 Apr 2012
Following the fatal attack of a body-boarder at Kogel Bay on Thursday, 19 April 2012, the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) has decided to suspend the Ocearch-Sharkmen research permit. The Department will meet with Ocearch on Monday in this regard. The Department suspended the permit as a precaution and it is also our view that the project has nearly met its objectives. The Department is also considering a modification of the permitting regime.
While the Department has since suspended the permit granted to Ocearch-Sharkmen, it is the Department's view that the shark attack is not related to the research project. There is no evidence to suggest that the tagging of white sharks over the period of two days from Sunday, 15 April to Monday, 16 April by the Ocearch-Sharkmen had any role to play in the tragic events that occurred at the Cave.
The Department would like to point out that:
1. The False Bay research operation took place close to Seal Island, where there is high shark activity in anyway because of the seal population. There are several White Shark Cage Diving operators in the area and they use chumming so the presence of the research and filming team there and the use of chumming would not have attracted additional sharks into the area.
2. The Ocearch-Sharkmen research team left False Bay for Struisbaai on Monday, 16 April already.
3. According to the City of Cape Town, the area in which the shark attack took place is well known for white shark presence, especially at this time of the year. Sightings of white sharks are regularly conveyed to the City's Environmental Resource Management Department.
The Department recently completed a draft Conservation Plan for Sharks. The plan emphasises that sharks are both poorly understood and that many species are threatened by human activities. It also notes the need for research in order to understand the basic life histories of a number of species, including migration, reproduction and population status. To achieve this, fairly large scale research is needed including finding out where animals move at different stages of their life and how they move between and utilise different habitats on shorter time-scales. The Sharkmen initiative presented a unique opportunity for researchers to answer these questions. The initial data is already showing rapid large scale and coastal migrations, including several white sharks moving into the Southern Ocean and another moving between the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal and back (also showing where it stopped along the way). Genetic and other microbiological results will take longer to analyse but should allow statistically valid conclusions to be made about white sharks populations and their biology.
The sampling protocols developed for this project are the most comprehensive for any similar marine work in South Africa, if not globally for sharks. They were at all times designed to have the minimum impact on the sharks needed to accomplish the scientific objectives. In addition they have further been improved by undertaking an assessment of each shark immediately after being caught as part of this project before tagging or other work is done in order to ensure minimum impact. One of the aspects of the research also involves measuring the stress of sampling on sharks, which will guide future sampling.
When the work shifted to False Bay concerns for human safety became the main public issue. This is understandable as False Bay is a multi-user marine environment, and also has had a number of shark attacks recently. Therefore additional pre-cautionary measures were put in place by not allowing any chumming within the Table Mountain National Park Marine Protected Area, which effectively includes the coast from Cape Point to Muizenberg to a distance of at least 5km offshore. Elsewhere in False Bay no chumming is allowed within two km of the coast. The amount of chum to be used in the Bay has unfortunately been exaggerated in some statements. For example, it is suggested all of the chum on board would be used in False Bay. This is definitely not the case. Not only is the amount of chum on board actually substantially less than the original estimated, but it is also being used at a lower rate than anticipated. An experienced Departmental official on board is monitoring this activity. In addition the City of Cape Town placed a senior staff member (unassociated with the project) on board on Sunday afternoon (from 15:00-19:30) to monitor operations, during which a white shark of 3.9 m was caught, tagged and released. He reported that "the entire operation was skilfully and professionally done and it was obvious to me that all involved care for these animals."
The potential of sharks moving away from the white shark cage diving areas following sustained increased activity, is something that was taken into consideration by restricting the amount of time that the research vessel could spend in the same area to 48 hours to be followed by a similar length break (e.g. work elsewhere) before sampling could resume in the same area.
Background:
The Sharkmen/Ocearch is film-making company that funds research into sharks. The project is a collaborative research initiative comprising research on large sharks in SA waters. The initiative comprises a number of projects involving leading South African shark researchers in collaboration with a few international scientists.
It was agreed from the outset that a specialist panel including members from inside and outside government, including a state vet with considerable experience in working on sharks, would draw up detailed protocols for each type of sampling activity in order to ensure that the sharks were treated ethically. These sampling protocols were augmented by additional permit conditions indicating what methods could be used to catch sharks.
Statement issued by the Department of Environmental Affairs, April 20 2012
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