Aliwal Shoal - too good to be true?

Undoubtedly the Rosa Parks moment of SA Shark Conservation - or maybe not! Source.

Check out this surprising post!

A Victory for the Remove the Nets Campaign
On November 7th 2012, we claimed a great victory for sharks and a testament to the power of the local grassroots activism Shark Angels inspires.
Thanks in part to the hard work from several shark angels for almost four years, KZN Sharks Board has buckled under the pressure and has recommended the removal of four gill nets in the Aliwal Shoal Marine Protected Area within the next year.
This includes nets at both Scottburgh and Park Rynie and is a monumental step towards the abandonment of shark nets throughout the country – and hopefully at some point, the globe. The announcement, which came at the quarterly meeting of the Aliwal Shoal Forum in KwaZulu Natal, was made quietly and without fanfare - because it signals the weakening of the Sharks Board and constitutes an incredible triumph for those working hard to protect sharks, who have been struggling to achieve the removal of the nets since 2008.

Really?

If so, this would indeed be a great accomplishment by the South African Shark Angels, and huge kudos to everybody involved.

And yet...

Maybe it's just me with my visceral suspicion of anything associated with Julie Andersen for whom I have zero respect. Can't quite put a finger on it - but I got a big nose, and this breathy self congratulatory victory lap before anything has been confirmed by facts on the ground just doesn't smell quite right...

Recommending does not mean deciding or promising, and within the next year (2014?) appears awfully vague, too!

Happy to be proven wrong though - seriously!

As always, we shall see - and being me, I've prophylactically copy/pasted the whole announcement lest there be latter editorial changes like so often! :)

Anybody in SA who can independently verify this?

PS: Patric - OMG!!!
PS2: Lesley Rochat here.
PS3: And here comes the latter editorial change - much as anticipated!
        NOW, the post reads

Progress for the Remove the Nets Campaign
On November 7th 2012, great progress was made in the campaign to remove South Africa’s shark nets, marking a huge step forward for shark conservation and standing as a testament to the power of grassroots activism.
At the quarterly meeting of the Aliwal Shoal Forum in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, Shark Angel Mark Addison witnessed the KZN Sharks Board recommend the removal of the gill nets at Park Rynie to the local municipality. If this recommendation is acted upon (as every other Sharks Board suggestion has been) it will constitute the first step towards the abandonment of shark nets throughout the province. The Sharks Board also recommended the replacement of the two nets at Scottburgh with drumlines. The Park Rynie and Scottburgh nets are both located within the boundaries of the Aliwal Shoal Marine Protected Area. This recommendation by the Sharks Board signifies a positive shift in their attitude to shark conservation and an incredible triumph for sharks, the Shark Angels, and all who protect sharks and have been struggling to achieve the removal of the nets since 2008. 

An incredible triumph for the Shark Angels huh.
And this original statement (yes I really did copy/paste it!) that boasted that

The Angels creatively organized a display of support of such huge proportions it gained worldwide attention.

On May 6th 2012, members of all water user groups gathered on the beach at Scottburgh to demonstrate their disgust with the Sharks Board, and their support for the sharks. The “paddle out” protest led by the Shark Angels was inspired by Hawaiian surfing tradition to honouring dead surfers. The fact that the local community was so moved by the deaths of the tiger sharks is a huge testament not only to the work of the Shark Angels in the area, but to the compassion and understanding that is possible between humans and sharks thanks to education, media and the encouragement of ambassadors

has been changed to

However, the local community nevertheless perceived it as a massacre of such horrific proportions, one that impacted a community financially and ethically to its core, that it triggered a mass demonstration a week later. 
On May 6th 2012, members of all water user groups gathered on the beach at Scottburgh to demonstrate their disgust with the Sharks Board, and their support for the sharks. The protest, organised by African Diver magazine co-founder Cormac McCreesh, was inspired by Hawaii ‘an surfing tradition for honouring dead surfers, and took the form of a paddle out to the backline and the laying of flowers on the sea’s surface. The fact that the local community was so moved by the deaths of the tigers is a huge testament not only to the work of the Shark Angels in the area, but to the compassion and understanding that is possible between humans and sharks.  

Busted!
And I've again copy/pasted this version lest there be another editorial change!

Aliwal Shoal - What has happened to the Tigers?

Aliwal Shoal Tiger and diver, by DaWolf - a thing of the past? Notice the Blacktips in the background.

I must say, when it comes to SA, I remain of two minds.
Having been a staunch anti-apartheid advocate, I was overjoyed when the despicable regime finally disappeared. Mandela transcends positive attributes but then came the pathetic Mbeki - and Zuma, let alone Malema are frankly a disgrace and cause for grave concern.
When it comes to conservation, there is of course the brilliant terrestrial track record that on top of preserving vital unique habitat is contributing millions in tourism income. On the marine and especially, sharky side of things, not really impressed. There's certainly a lot of research, some of which is rather impressive; but when it comes to getting those Sharks protected, I see ALOT of self congratulatory media by the various bikini models, artists, sharktivists and whatnot - but in terms of having achieved tangible results?

The Shark diving Industry?
SA's Shark diving has been developed and very much put on the map by visionary, and probably equally crazy icons like Andre Hartman, and the legacy is being continued by excellent people like Mike Rutzen or Chris Fallows for whom I have nothing but the greatest respect. Other people, not so much - but such is the Industry everywhere, tribal and petty! Plus, news like these are of grave concern as such banana republic shenanigans will come at the direct expense of safety and reputation, and I'll leave it at that.

Anyway, I'm digressing as usual.
Why I'm writing this post is that this has piqued my interest.
Apparently, way less Tiger Sharks show up on the Aliwal Shoal dives. Apparently, the reason for this are poaching for trophies - and the highly controversial Shark nets.
This stuff: antiquated, ineffective, unselective, an ecological crime that needs to be stopped.



But is that the most plausible explanation?
Firstly, has anybody checked the data? Has anybody taken the time to go and corroborate those reports by talking to the KZNSB, by looking at fisheries data and by following up on the poaching allegations?

Secondly, Wolfgang reports that
The dive reports I received lately are alarming: Very few tiger sharks sightings, and the tigers don't stay, making one or two brief passes only to leave the scene altogether.

Hmmmmmmmm...
Sharks including Tigers don't like to approach people and that's why the dedicated Shark diving operators attract them with bait. In Aliwal Shoal, this is now thankfully done with ZIBS, a Shark friendly implement that is however not dispensing any food. Thus the Sharks are being teased in and then waste time and energy that could be spent on productive hunting, which is however not the topic here.
The topic is that this could well lead to negative reinforcement whereby individual Sharks wise up to the fact that they're being cheated and learn to avoid that situation.
And then, there are the notorious swarms of Shark hugging bimbettes and intrepid freedivers abusing the Sharks as underwater scooters: do you really believe that those disrespectful stupidities are in any way conducive to those animals ever wanting to come back?

Which brings be straight over to the following.
In my experience, Tigers are rather placid (and incredibly determined!) and just want to do their thing in peace without being harassed.
Juerg has been here for a lightning fast go-see and informs me that his next paper is about to get published. In it, among other topics, he documents how other Shark species have reacted to the stupendous increase in our population of Bull Sharks that has culminated in our sighting of approx 100 individuals this June - and counting, next year there will be more!
I don't want to pre-empt his conclusions but one of the results will be that we're seeing less Tiger Sharks. From my personal observations, this is because they just cannot be bothered to come and join the fray in order to compete with the Bulls - this the more as the Bulls are clearly not intimidated and on the contrary, have even been observed to shoulder away the Tigers when getting to the bait!
Talk about a total lack of respect!

And then,there's the famous Shark Rodeo in Walker's Cay.
As far as I know, only a very few of the famous Bulls bothered to ever turn up at the chumsicle and when they did, they made one or two brief passes only to leave the scene altogether. Tigers, a big fat zero - and this despite being frequently sighted in the vicinity, despite of the yummy fish smell and despite of the massive commotion caused by the Caribbean Reefs and especially, the Blacktips!

Or maybe because of it!
Blacktips are your quintessential asshole Shark: lightening fast, frisky, in-your-face assertive and unpredictable - certainly nobody any self respecting Tiger Shark would ever want to be associated with, especially if they came in packs!

May it be that the exact same is happening in Aliwal Shoal?
May there have been an increase in Blacktips? May there be some correlation between that increase and the decrease in Tiger Shark sightings? May Tiger Shark diving in Aliwal Shoal have become the victim of its own popularity - among humans but above all, among Blacktip Sharks?
Some form of interspecific exclusion, competitive or not?

Yes I'm clearly speculating - but has anybody looked into it?
Thing is, I fully support Wolfgang's cry for better coordination and better Shark protection in SA - tho I fear that achieving any degree of co-ordination, let alone cooperation will be difficult (...) and that in view of the current banana republic shenanigans, few operators will have the guts to speak up against the inept Government policies. But, as always, all should happen based on factual data - and when it comes to those Tiger Sharks, I'm not that sure.
Thoughts?

And since we're at it:
Tiger Beach? Feisty Lemons vs placid Tigers?
Questions questions... :)