March/April 2020

MAKE A DIFFERENCE
We are privileged to live in the most amazingly
beautiful, vibrant part of the world. The KZN North
Coast is breath-takingly beautiful in so many ways.
Flying into King Shaka International Airport gives
visitors the impression that they are touching
down into a land of plenty. Rolling green hills and
beautiful beaches. Indigenous bushland that is
teaming with a variety of bird species and the most
entertaining, quirky small mammal population. It
is paradise to most of us, and if we want to keep it
the way it is, we need to understand that we can’t
just live here without putting something back.
Take the beaches for instance. Litter has become
a major problem on most of our once pristine
beaches on the North Coast. This is where we can
all make a difference. Simply take a black refuse
bag with you when you go to the beach and fill it
with your own refuse – and take it home to dispose
of. If you see people littering while you’re at the
beach, take a stand! Explain to them that their litter
will eventually end up in the sea and be added to
the mountain of refuse in the ocean that is already
causing widespread damage.
The reason we ALL need to make a difference
is because steadily, but surely, money that was
once used to protect our coastal environment is
being withdrawn.
A comment in the North Coast Courier, following
on from the devastating annihilation of the
school of beautiful parrot fish in the Thompson’s
Bay pool attests to this.
“While the seawater pools dotted along Ballito’s
coast serve as sanctuaries for numerous sea
creatures, which use the calm waters and the
side walls and rocks for breeding and shelter,
illegal poaching and fishing have increased
substantially following the removal of Ezemvelo
staff from the coast in 2016. The decision
not to renew Ezemvelo’s contract was taken by
Glenda Thompson glenda@getunoticed.co.za
A CALL TO PROTECT OUR
MARINE LIFE
the Department of Environment, Forestry and
Fisheries (DEFF) in spite of its good track record
and years of experience. For close to 32 years,
well-trained Ezemvelo officials were responsible
for maintaining wildlife conservation areas and
biodiversity in KZN.
Dolphin Coast conservancy chairman, Di Jones
said she was appalled by the poaching incident
and said it was critical for the community to find
effective ways of fighting the illegal poaching of
sea life. She said parrot fish have been systematically
disappearing from the tidal pools and
some of the area’s once thriving tidal pools had
become barren aquatic deserts, depleted of fish
and live coral.”
The point is, if our beautiful coastland is not going to be policed by the DEFF, HOW are we going to help
protect it to prevent it from becoming a desolate patch of nothing? The bottom line? Tourists will avoid
coming here and the economy will suffer.
WE ALL NEED TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, SOMEHOW!!