diving ban in South Africa

[Rockbrother]

Our Government has done it again...
You might remember the Department of Environment and Tourism imposing a permit system on SCUBA diving in Marine protection areas last year. This was supposedly to stop abalone poaching (Recreational abalone diving has been banned for a few years already). Now they are proposing an outright ban on all types of diving along long stretches of our coastline, again to try a stop abalone poaching. :rcard

What I don't understand, and a lot of other people feel the same way is how will creating another law prevent people from breaking the existing law in the first place.

this is just wrong!

 

[wet]

Why bother with all those environmental protection rules?

Just let everyone get the abalone, it will quickly disappear, no more abalone poaching.

Worked really well for dodos, why not for abalone?

There's ALWAYS a solution.

(attempt at social satire)

 

[land shark]

ask them "If no one is down there watching them ?? Then who is goning to see the poachers??"

 

[BatRay]

The US Forest Service has started to do something similar. They are in the process of passing laws because they did not have enough money or staffing to enforce previous laws. They are targeting dispersed camping now.

I think they should allow honest spearos to enforce the existing laws. Those are the ones who would truly protect the resource. Hey, that's what they did to protect the elephants from extinction

 

[land shark]

ending all activity in a area because there is no law enforcemnet is backward. they are telling you there is no money to watch it. So who the hell is gonna catch you! think about it

 

[island_sands]

Our Government has done it again...
You might remember the Department of Environment and Tourism imposing a permit system on SCUBA diving in Marine protection areas last year. This was supposedly to stop abalone poaching (Recreational abalone diving has been banned for a few years already). Now they are proposing an outright ban on all types of diving along long stretches of our coastline, again to try a stop abalone poaching. :rcard

What I don't understand, and a lot of other people feel the same way is how will creating another law prevent people from breaking the existing law in the first place.

this is just wrong!

their plea to South Africans to use less electricity and water and save energy was a rich one - in view of what they are spending for the World Cup :rcard

any updates on this ban?

 

[spaghetti]

They're doing the same here in Pastaland with marine parks, growing bigger and bigger, just to show an uninformed public opinion that they're "doing something" to protect sealife. Of course, speafishing is the only activity banned from italian "sanctuaries", while trowling and any sort of net fishing is allowed.
The next marine park (in MY f...ing home waters!!!) will be the largest of them all. Who the hell is going to keep poachers under control in such a large area?

Parco Nazionale Arcipelago Toscano - Official pages

 

[Rockbrother]

Underwater Africa is putting up a fight on behalf of the divers and diving industry. There is also a petition Care2 : The Petition Site with about 1200 signatures already.

 

[island_sands]

Underwater Africa is putting up a fight on behalf of the divers and diving industry. There is also a petition Care2 : The Petition Site with about 1200 signatures already.

What with Jacob Zuma imminent as your next president does it hold much luck?

:rcard

 

[Rockbrother]

Most people I know is not very optimistic about JZ as next president. One good point about him though is he is much more a peoples person than Mbeki. We will just have to wait and see.

 

[island_sands]

Most people I know is not very optimistic about JZ as next president. One good point about him though is he is much more a peoples person than Mbeki. We will just have to wait and see.

Isnt he the one who raped that girl with AIDS and then said he wouldnt catch it as he took a shower afterwards?

 

[Rockbrother]

The petition has slowed down a bit with about 1400 people signed.
Another strategy of the government is to run the public participation phase of new legislation over the December holiday season. During this time most people is away on leave, and if only a few people complain they can just say we gave you a chance but nobody had any issues.

 

[Rockbrother]

Isnt he the one who raped that girl with AIDS and then said he wouldnt catch it as he took a shower afterwards?

that is the man, and the strangest thing of all is the ANC woman's league who voted for the man.

 

[Mr. X]

...What I don't understand, and a lot of other people feel the same way is how will creating another law prevent people from breaking the existing law in the first place. this is just wrong!

roflSounds like our Government. The prisons are already overflowing (because they won't build anymore -- would rather spend the money on sh!te, like war & the EU). You'd think they had more pressing matters -- how's the murder rate these days?

Isnt he the one who raped that girl with AIDS and then said he wouldnt catch it as he took a shower afterwards?

The lunatics are running the asylum.

They're doing the same here in Pastaland with marine parks, growing bigger and bigger, just to show an uninformed public opinion that they're "doing something" to protect sealife. Of course, speafishing is the only activity banned from italian "sanctuaries", while trowling and any sort of net fishing is allowed.
The next marine park (in MY f...ing home waters!!!) will be the largest of them all. Who the hell is going to keep poachers under control in such a large area?
Parco Nazionale Arcipelago Toscano - Official pages

roflWelcome to the EU Spaghetti. Looks lovely. Funny, I don't see a "Where to fish" linkrofl. They allow trawling?:duh How about fishing with explosives?