SHARK cage diving will continue as usual in False Bay in the wake of last Thursday’s fatal attack at Kogel Bay beach, but the beach is still closed.
|||Sibusiso Nkomo
STAFF REPORTER
SHARK cage diving will continue as usual in False Bay in the wake of Thursday’s fatal attack at Kogel Bay beach, but the beach is still closed.
And the controversial Ocearch Shark Men research documentary is still suspended, the national Department of Environmental Affairs has said.
Ace Camps Bay bodyboarder David Lilienfeld, 20, was killed by a great white at Kogel Bay while waiting for a wave.
His family and a large crowd bid farewell to him at Camps Bay on Saturday.
Allegations abounded on social media that chumming by the Ocearch crew might have caused the attack, but these have been denied by the city and Ocearch.
The shark which killed Lilienfeld was not tagged by researchers and therefore was not known and could not have been monitored, the city’s head of environmental policy, Gregg Oelofse, said.
He said a meeting would be held today with the surfing community to decide whether permanent shark spotters should be stationed at Kogel Bay.
Oelofse said Ocearch’s “small and limited chumming” would not have attracted more sharks to False Bay.
“The amount of chum used is insignificant in comparison to natural chum sources in the bay, including the natural chum slick emanating from Seal Island, fishing activities in False Bay as well as the small and immaterial chumming by permitted cage divers,” he said.
Department of Environmental Affairs oceans and coast spokesman Zolile Nqayi said its representatives would meet Ocearch to discuss a way forward for the documentary.
“The research is conducted for the protection of humans and conservation of sharks... it is critical we conduct research on their movements,” he said.
Nqayi said the allegations against Ocearch were baseless since the crew was at Seal Island at the time of the attack.
Ocearch’s Chris Berger said Ocearch’s media response would be limited to sharing research data.
“Our thoughts and prayers remain with the family of (the) shark attack victim,” he said.
sibusiso.nkomo@inl.co.za
