I HEARD on the radio, with mixed feelings, that the minister of environmental affairs and tourism has published the draft regulations to ban recreational scuba diving in certain areas to protect abalone from uncontrolled poaching.

Mixed feelings, because we of Underwater Africa (UWA) and the local recreational diving fraternity and associated businesses were facing a ban even more drastic than what has been drafted.

The Bird Island group and the whole Marine Drive coastline was the area originally proposed by minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk and his marine coastal management department (MCM).

Only hours before the government gazette was to be printed, the Marine Drive area was excluded, reasons unknown at this stage, but possibly to prevent a huge public backlash, which UWA warned the local MCM would happen.

The local recreational scuba diving industry is mobilising, and has to stop continuous attacks on our sport and livelihoods.

The MCM, under Dr Allan Boyd, is unable to control abalone poaching, despite huge amounts of money being spent (wasted?) on boats and equipment unsuited to the job, staff who are misguided about their task and lack of “buy in” by the legitimate recreational scuba divers and snorkellers who often get treated like criminals for simply carrying out their sport. (By the way the ban also applies to snorkelling).

The Bird Island ban will not affect the recreational diver in the short-term (too far to travel to), but this is probably the thin end of the wedge. The Bird Island marine protected area is to be expanded to include St Croix and Brenton Island, and also Evans Peak, a popular dive site nearby.

The scuba ban, now drafted, will probably expand to this larger area with little or no consultation needed from affected parties as it is already gazetted!

Cape Town has an even larger recreational scuba diving area banned, so we have a national problem here, being created by MCM.

This latest draft is open for public comment, so I call on all interested and affected parties to submit written comments to the department of environmental affairs and tourism, branch: MCM, attention Risha Persad, Private Bag X2, Roggebaai, 8012. Fax to 021-402 3009 or e-mail to Rpersad@deat.gov.za

Glenton Kendrick, Port Elizabeth