KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board says bathing has been banned on provincial beaches from Isiphingo up to Port Edward on the South Coast.
Head of operations at the KZN Sharks Board Wayne Harrison says the sardines are expected to travel north during the week.
“With the influx of sardines to the southern KZN, we have banned bathing due to the Shark activity, and this bathing ban will continue until we can see there are gaps between the shoals, where we will monitor bathing on a regular situation, and the gear will be serviced daily, please listen to the lifeguards, pay attention to the flags, the signage on the beach. We will try and open bathing whenever possible but remember that this is a natural phenomenon we cannot put dates to it at how long this is gonna last.”
Umgababa Beach
Meanwhile, a large shoal of sardines was netted at Umgababa on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast early Tuesday morning, following yesterday’s massive haul at the same beach.
The silvery delicacies from the seas are fetching a price of about R300 a crate.
Fishing expert Adam Kamdar says netting of sardines is going ahead despite the choppy sea conditions.
“Following yesterday’s successful sardine netting, the netters are back at Umgababa this morning. Conditions are difficult with the big swells and strong currents, but Abed Khan managed a net of about 80 crates. Other netters are still active in the area. The sardine run is full of excitement but also has unpredictable risks. I got news that one of the boats capsized in the surf while attempting to lay their nets. Let’s pray for the safety of the skipper and crew. I’ll keep you posted as details emerge.”
PODCAST | Newsbreak Sardine Update with Adam Kamdar
