The paradox of KZN’s killer shark nets and baited hooks in Marine Protected Areas

For more than 70 years, shark nets and baited hooks (drumlines) have been used along KwaZulu-Natal’s coastline to reduce the risk of shark encounters at beaches. This gear is intended to catch and kill sharks and thus reduce local populations for bather safety, not to stop sharks coming into bathing areas, as many people think.

The continued use of these lethal measures deployed at 37 KZN beaches has long been controversial, but their presence inside three of South Africa’s Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) raises urgent questions about the effectiveness of these conservation zones.

A white shark carcass washed up on the shore of Zinkwazi Beach after being caught in a KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board drumline. The red buoy (right) suspends the baited hook in the water and is anchored with a rope to a concrete block on the seafloor behind the waves. Strong waves and the shark’s struggles were likely to have caused the ropes to break loose and the white shark to strand ashore. (Photo: Josh Pons)

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) confirmed to Daily Maverick that shark nets and baited hooks (drumlines) are still in place in three areas on the KwaZulu Natal coast:

• uThukela MPA – off Zinkwazi and Blythedale beaches;


• Aliwal Shoal MPA – off Umgababa and Scottburgh beaches; and


• Trafalgar MPA – off Trafalgar beach.

Fishing regulations in South Africa’s marine protected areas (MPAs) generally vary by zone, with some areas completely prohibiting fishing to protect biodiversity while others allow regulated fishing activities under strict permits and conditions to ensure sustainable use of marine resources, like the above MPAs.

The DFFE has provided permits to the KwaZulu-Natal Shark Board, a government-funded entity, to deploy shark nets and baited hooks in these protected areas.

“We know that Marine Protected Areas only deliver on their objectives when they are fully protected,” Professor Mandy Lombard, the South African Research Chair in Marine Spatial Planning at Nelson Mandela University, told Daily Maverick.

“So allowing something that is specifically designed to kill or reduce the biomass of sharks is completely counterproductive.”

A Marine Protected Area (MPA) is like an underwater national park where certain human activities, like fishing and development, are restricted or prohibited to protect ocean life and ecosystems.

The paradox of having lethal shark instruments in an MPA

A passionate conservation ecologist, Josh Pons, posted this video to social media where he pointed out the hypocrisy of the fact that as you enter uThukela MPA in Durban, there’s a sign reminding citizens that setting gillnets (using nets to catch and kill fish) is not allowed, while right next to it is a sign showing that lethal shark protective gear is installed.

“By the same token, it says right here that there’s ‘safety gear’ [shark nets/drumlines] installed at these beaches where gillnets are installed, designed to catch and kill sharks. There are nets in the sea that catch sharks and kill them, they are not barriers,” Pons said in the video.

https://youtube.com/shorts/JTWuywOMhmE?si=5NnsWB_zw5T6M2_4

“Now that global shark populations are declining, I’m particularly concerned that this practice continues,” Pons told Daily Maverick. “You cannot claim that sharkfinning in the East is immoral, yet shark culling in KwaZulu-Natal is acceptable.”

Economic v ecological debate

The KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board defends the continued use of shark nets, citing their importance to the province’s tourism industry. The board argues that shark attacks would damage KZN’s multibillion-rand tourism sector, which employs around 200,000 people.

Professor Matt Dicken, the KZN Sharks Board’s acting head of research and monitoring, noted that KZN has not experienced a fatal shark incident in the past 20 years — unlike other provinces. He also pointed to international cases, such as Recife, Brazil, where shark attacks have negatively impacted tourism.

Proponents of shark nets further argue that KZN’s shark diving industry — now a major drawcard for eco-tourism — only emerged in the 1980s and 1990s, several decades after the nets were first installed at popular beaches.

Dicken also pointed to the steps the KZN Sharks Board has taken to reduce their ecological impact. Since the mid-1990s, the board has cut the number of beaches using shark mitigation gear from 46 to 37 and reduced net lengths by 70%, from 44.5km to 13.5km. These changes have led to a 63% drop in the number of sharks caught annually and a 71% reduction in harmless species caught, Dicken reported.

A baited hook used by the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board to attract large sharks. This method is meant to primarily target sharks and allow for the potential release of live sharks. The annual average number of white sharks released alive each year is 14%. The remaining sharks will fight this trap until they tire and can no longer run water over their gills, causing them to drown. (Photo: Supplied)

The board also removes most nets for five months each year — from June to November — to prevent unnecessary captures during the sardine run and whale migration. Their net reductions and change to baited hooks (which significantly reduce bycatch of non-target species) contributes positively to a reduction in catches but, on average, the KZN Sharks Board still catches more than 500 sharks and other animals every year along 310km of coastline, with only 14% released. The rest of them die.

Professor Lombard highlighted that sharks and rays are among the most threatened marine fauna, with many listed on the IUCN Red List.

“So to have a killing device of a highly threatened group of creatures inside an MPA is an equally absurd thing to do,” she said. Lombard also pointed out that sharks play a crucial role in the ecosystems and are disappearing from our western Indian Ocean.

“South Africa has a high diversity of shark and ray fauna and it’s actually one of the global hotspots, so we have that added responsibility to provide safe spaces for these creatures – and our safe spaces should be our MPAs,” she said.

Daily Maverick asked the DFFE if putting shark nets and drumlines (which kill sharks and other marine life), would not defeat the point of an MPA, (which is managed under the National Environmental Management Act – Protected Areas Act, and the Marine Living Resources Act).

Peter Mbelengwa, chief director of communications and advocacy at the DFFE, said that the shark gear was deployed in these areas before those MPAs had been declared “and as such DFFE is required to be inclusive of all users and user activities”. He also noted that, where feasible, nets have been replaced by baited hooks (which catch much less bycatch of non-target species, like dolphins and turtles).

How many sharks does the KZN Shark Board catch, release and kill?

On average, the KZN Sharks Board catches 563 sharks and other marine animals per year along a 310km stretch from Richards Bay to Port Edward — which Dicken points out is roughly 0.005 animals per kilometre per day. Of these, only 14% of sharks are released alive, according to the DFFE.

“This is significantly less than any other fishery in South Africa, including the recreational shore fishery,” noted the KZN Sharks Board’s Dicken. The sharks board also noted that its total catch accounted for only 2.4% of South Africa’s overall shark catch.

However, while shark nets and drumlines represent a small portion of the commercial fishery sector’s total shark and ray catch, marine scientist Dr Jean Harris,  the Strategic Lead of the WILDOCEANS programme of the WILDTRUST,  stressed that “shark nets are highly unselective, resulting in the deaths of not only many threatened species of sharks – most of which pose little to no threat to humans – but also other marine life including rays, turtles, whales and dolphins.”

Critically, for South Africa’s most endangered shark species, the KZN Sharks Board is responsible for a disproportionately high share of recorded catches. A 2015 fisheries study from the department found that for five out of six endangered or critically endangered shark species, the KZN Sharks Board was responsible for more than 50% of recorded catches—a significant portion compared with other fisheries.

The two species caught most frequently by the KZN Sharks Board are endangered dusky sharks and critically endangered scalloped hammerheads.

Marine biologist Shanan Atkins, who is Chair of the Sharks + People Working Group, emphasised that 13 of the 14 shark species regularly caught by the board are listed as vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered on the IUCN Red List.

Atkins acknowledged that while unreported catches might lower the figure slightly for some species, for most of the endangered species, she said, “if the shark nets and baited hooks weren’t fishing for sharks, a significant source of mortality would be removed.”

A bull shark that died on a drumline retrieved by the KZN Sharks Board and lifted onboard to remove the hook. All dead animals are brought back to the KZN Sharks Board headquarters in Umhlanga where they are sampled. (Photo: Josh Pons)

The Sharks Board primarily targets white sharks, Zambezi (bull) sharks, and tiger sharks — the species responsible for most shark bites. However, according to the KZN Sharks Board’s latest publicly available statistics on annual average number of catches and releases (2018-2022), for every targeted shark caught, the board captures 5.6 times as many non-target species. Around 85 target sharks are caught each year and 66% die in the nets and on baited hooks, as do 74% of the 480 non-target sharks, cetaceans, turtles and rays.

 

This is an improvement to when they were catching 7.5 times as many non-target species as target species (2013-2017), since they introduced the staged removal of nets during the humpback whale migration and increased the use of baited hooks (which catch fewer non-targeted species).

“The amount of threatened non-target (bycatch) species caught and killed in this indiscriminate fishing gear undermines the purpose and goals of MPAs and threatens South Africa’s unique and diverse marine biodiversity,” Harris told Daily Maverick.

Dr Enrico Gennari, a marine ecologist specialising in white sharks, from the Oceans Research Institute in Mossel Bay, also acknowledged that while the KZN Sharks Board may catch a relatively small proportion of sharks compared with all fisheries combined, the comparison is flawed because fisheries catch sharks for food under managed regulations aiming at sustainability, “whereas the bather protection programme is managed the opposite way; to be successful, it needs to bring the target species close to local extinction.”

He said that the KZN Sharks Board specifically targeted large sharks, many of which are threatened (vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered).

“You can’t compare a large shark that’s in trouble [threatened] with a small shark that is sustainably caught – it’s what you catch, how much you catch and if you’re putting the species in trouble,” he said.

What viable alternative methods are there for shark protection?

Despite ongoing reliance on lethal methods within MPAs, several non-lethal alternatives are being explored worldwide:

• Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or drones): Drones are becoming a key tool for spotting sharks along the coast, thanks to their ability to cover large areas quickly. Equipped with cameras and sensors, they provide real-time beach surveillance, improving public safety. Countries like Australia and South Africa have already seen success with drones, using them to issue timely shark warnings and reduce the risk of attacks. As technology advances — like real-time detection algorithms and multispectral imaging — drones are set to become even more effective in shark monitoring.


• Smart drumlines:  Smart (Shark Management Alert in Real Time) drumlines are a modern, non-lethal shark control method. Equipped with GPS-linked buoys, these drumlines send an instant alert when a shark takes the bait, allowing personnel to respond swiftly. Unlike traditional drumlines, Smart drumlines use circle hooks on longer wire traces set near the seafloor, minimising harm to sharks and other marine life.

When a shark is caught, operators tag, relocate and release it about 1km offshore (as in Australia), or euthanise it if it’s a Zambezi or tiger shark (Réunion Island), while non-target species are released. This not only reduces the chances of future encounters with humans but also provides valuable data on shark movements. Research shows that many tagged sharks that were relocated leave the area for months after relocation, further lowering risks to beachgoers.

A sign alerting beachgoers that shark safety gear is installed at Zinkwazi Beach, off uThukela Marine Protected Area, KwaZulu-Natal. (Photo: Josh Pons)

Countries using Smart drumlines have reported significant conservation and safety benefits. On Réunion Island, 87% of a sample of 269 sharks caught — spanning more than 14 species — were released alive, a stark contrast to the 14% release rate in KZN. In New South Wales, Australia, 62% of tagged sharks were later detected by acoustic listening stations, confirming successful releases. Teams there respond to alerts within 30 minutes, ensuring rapid intervention. Meanwhile, in Recife, Brazil, a similar approach—relocating sharks instead of killing them — led to a 97% drop in shark attacks.

• Electrical deterrents: These devices exploit sharks’ sensitivity to electrical fields. They create an electrical field in the water that can disrupt a shark’s electroreception, which is critical for their hunting and navigation. This deters sharks and keeps them at bay.


• Shark spotters: This programme uses trained teams stationed on beaches and high areas (mountains or buildings) who monitor for shark activity using visual spotting techniques combined with technology like drones. The spotters then radio teams on the beach or lifeguards if a shark is spotted. This technique has been successful in Cape Town and Plettenberg Bay in the Western Cape.


• Exclusion nets: Unlike the shark nets they use in KZN, exclusion nets have much smaller mesh, so no large shark can become entangled. They are typically set every morning before beaches open and are pulled up at night.


• Education campaigns: Increasing public awareness about ocean safety can reduce panic during sightings while promoting coexistence with marine life.

Daily Maverick asked the KZN Sharks Board if they considered such methods, and Dicken said, that “due to a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, a high energy surf zone, turbid water, lack of harbours, and other potentially dangerous shark species other than white sharks, the use of exclusion nets, shark spotting, or smart drumlines would not be feasible in KZN.”

MD of Sharklife Conservation Group Grant Smith agreed that exclusion nets are not viable in the heavy surf characteristic of KZN.

And for shark spotters, he noted that there was no readily available elevation such as mountains in KZN, saying, “even if it could be built, bull sharks swim near the seafloor and are unlikely to be detected by spotters, although it could add a sense of security to the bathing public to know there is a lookout.”

But Smith said that smart drumlines were certainly worth looking into.

Dicken said that the KZN Sharks Board was constantly looking at alternate technologies and that they were developing an electrical shark-repellent device, a non-lethal solution that consists of a series of electrodes which hang vertically in the water, emitting a weak electrical field which forms a barrier that repels sharks.

A 2023 stakeholder study emphasised the growing demand for methods that protect water users while minimising harm to marine species, particularly threatened sharks.

Lombard emphasises that transitioning away from lethal measures requires overcoming societal attitudes towards sharks as dangerous creatures, rather than vital components of marine ecosystems. “We need to promote understanding about their ecological importance,” she said.

Time for change

Opposition for and against shark gear is nothing new – especially among avid beachgoers and conservationists. And like most things, it’s hard to change an existing system that’s been there for a long time.

Sharklife Conservation Group’s Smith believes it’s time to move beyond outdated culling practices and adopt an adaptive risk management approach.

“We recognise the need for safety measures at high-attendance beaches during peak seasons,” acknowledged Smith, but called for an end to year-round culling. As a first step, he suggested removing lethal gear from low-risk, less frequented beaches, citing Sharklife’s success in having nets removed from Rocky Bay — an MPA beach with low beach attendance, where a 2008 study found that 82% of respondents would still visit the beach without nets.

Dr Harris of WILDOCEANS stressed that shark nets do not create solid barriers. “There is an incredibly low risk of shark bites,” she said, adding that incidents were rare, making it difficult to prove the nets improved safety.

She pointed out that the South African Government, like 195 other nations at the 2022 UN Biodiversity Conference, signed an agreement that has a target to “Halt Species Extinction, Protect Genetic Diversity, and Manage Human-Wildlife Conflict”, and that in response to that, the DFFE had committed to reduce human-wildlife conflict through innovative approaches to deter problem shark species, reducing bycatch and/or alerting bathers to shark presence.

“It is important for the public to put pressure on DFFE to have wide consultation beyond the KZN Sharks Board,” said Harris, adding that we should work to include organisations and individuals working to find non-lethal alternatives and ways for sharks and people to coexist.

“We need to continue the trajectory of more and more people valuing sharks, reducing misunderstandings about them and how we manage our interactions with them,” reflected Atkins.

“We should focus on MPAs which are the few places that are set aside in recognition of the high value of biodiversity and sharks.” DM