An overview of the KZN Sharks Board
KZNSB boat crews launch from the beach before sunrise, often through rough seas, in a 6 m craft, powered by two outboard engines, known locally as a skiboat. The nets and drumlines are serviced about 20 times per month. Each net is pulled to the surface, where it is examined for captured animals and damage, a procedure known as "meshing". Each drumline is rebaited. All catches are recorded. Dead animals in good condition are removed for examination by the research staff, decomposed animals are discarded at sea and live animals, including potentially dangerous sharks, are released, with many being tagged first. Sharks are rarely captured during daylight hours, when it is believed they tend to move out into deeper water.
The effectiveness of shark nets and drumlines in the bather protection programs of South Africa and Australia has largely been attributed to their reducing the number of sharks occurring in that area, thereby reducing the probability of a shark coming into contact with a human.
Fourteen species of sharks have commonly been caught in the nets off KwaZulu-Natal. In the last five years (2004-2008) the annual catch has ranged from 500 to 743, with an average of 628 sharks per year, of which 13.1% is released alive. The highest catches have historically been made during the annual "Sardine Run".In June and July large shoals of sardines move into the southern part of the netted region. These fish are accompanied by a wide variety of predators, including sharks, which may drive the shoals inshore. A concerted effort is made to remove the shark fishing equipment ahead of the advancing shoals to avoid the unnecessary capture of large numbers of sharks and dolphins. High shark catches may also be made in summer when heavy rains flush large quantities of sediment out of the rivers and into the sea.
In the past the removal of equipment during the Sardine Run meant that swimming was prohibited at the affected beaches. This policy upset people wanting to swim, particularly if the equipment was kept out of the water for more than a few days. As a result the KZNSB introduced a policy of "discretionary bathing", enabling people to swim and surf at their own risk while the nets - and now drumlines - are out of the water.
The nets become fouled by marine growth and are therefore replaced every two to three weeks with clean ones. While the nets are out of the water for cleaning, any damage is repaired. Heavy surf conditions sometimes cause the nets to become entangled and the boat crews may spend long hours removing these nets and anchoring replacements in the correct position.
The KZNSB has its own workshop facilities and much of the repair and maintenance of vehicles, skiboats, outboard engines and boat trailers is carried out in-house. The KZNSB divers, using SCUBA, are able to salvage nets and anchors which have been dragged out of position by heavy seas and which the boat crews cannot recover.
The KZNSB has a large auditorium and display area. Most of the displays, including an impressive array of fibreglass casts taken directly from captured sharks, are constructed and assembled on site. About 40,000 visitors view the Board's shark dissections and static displays each year, in a program aimed at educating school children and the general public about safe swimming practices as well as the biology, ecology and conservation of sharks.
The KZNSB research staff are actively involved in many spheres of local and international shark and dolphin research, resulting in a wide range of publications, both in scientific journals and the popular press.The KZNSB maintains the South African section of the International Shark Attack File
Its expertise on shark attack and prevention measures has been called upon by many other countries.
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