AfricanDiver 1st Anniversary Issue Oct/Nov 2009 Issue 7
Shark cartilage
Dr Lynne Hepplestone BVSc
Diving and asthma DAN
Diving Pomene Mozambique
Cape Catsharks Cape Town
Filming Whites in the early days AfricanDiver.com 1
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Gordon Hiles Oct/Nov 09
Editorial
by Cormac McCreesh
A year ago, Paul and I published the first issue of African Diver. We didn’t really know what we were doing back then. We just knew we wanted to get the word out about diving and diving-related issues in Africa. Much has happened since that first issue. We have slowly built up a network of contributors that grows with each issue. Our network of friends is expanding rapidly and we have become more aware of the beauty of Africa and diving in Africa. But we have also learned of the exploitation and lack of conservation of the marine resources in Africa particularly, and the rest of the world too. The Moving Sushi team alarmed us when they wrote about poor marine management in Africa but they scared us silly with their latest article about poor marine management in the European Union. Over the past year we learned of the wanton killing of sharks worldwide, but also in Africa. In this issue Dr Lynne Hepplestone educates us on the exploitation of sharks for medical purposes that has no basis nor foundation. The story of exploitation and abuse just gets worse and worse every day. Paul and I have gone from being happy scuba divers to concerned ones. We worry about the scale of abuse of our oceans and the destruction AfricanDiver.com 2
of the very marine life we love to experience. And we feel so helpless. There seem to be a proliferation of organisations out there fighting for protection and resource management. But they don’t seem to be winning the battle. Their efforts seem to be falling on deaf ears. We can no longer rely on these organisations to fight our fight for us. Each and every one of us has to do the little bit they can to make a difference. So what can you do? Exercise the power of your spend is one small thing you can do. Imagine if we could get the whole world to stop eating fish for two years. Imagine the impact on the fishing industry! Imagine if we all stopped buying medicinal products created from fish sources. Imagine if you took this action and convinced three of your friends to do the same. And imagine if they convinced three of their friends and so on. Pretty soon everyone will be taking action but it will be a collective action. And it will be pretty impressive and impactful. Paul and I are taking action and we’re working at convincing all our friends to do the same. We need your help. May your bubbles always be free and may your little bit you do be big. Cormac and Paul.
Contents
Contents Page 3 3 Sisters - The top Pinnacle Dive in Southern Africa
Page 38 Substainable holidays by DAN
by Andrew Woodburn
Page 7 Filming Whites in the early days by Gordon Hiles
Page 39 One shot, right time, right place by Simon Brown
Page 14 Moving Sushi by Moving Sushi team
Page 18 Tuna
Visit our Facebook page
by AfricanDiver
Page 20
Cape Catsharks by Georgina Jones
Page 25 Featured photographer Daniel Bothelo Page 26 The Asthmatic Diver by DAN
Page 28 Shark cartilage
by Dr Lynne Hepplestone
Page 34 DAN research by DAN
Cover by Andrew Woodburn
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Oct/Nov 09
3 Sisters – The top Pinnacle Dive in Southern Africa by Andrew Woodburn
Location Pomene Central Mozambique No decompression - Deep diving utopia (within reach of the advanced diver) The first time I went to Pomene years ago I was involved with dive exploration based on fishing knowledge and we extensively explored Pomene Playstation (which I also rate as a world class dive site). Whilst doing this we heard of the famous Zambia shoal, which Rob (the skipper) had dabbled on about. But to be honest I found it quite barren and AfricanDiver.com 3
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broken. Bearing in mind it is 20km northeast of the launch site and rises to within 6m of the surface it is quite a feature anyway. So to be told about a pinnacle dive in that direction I was quite skeptical and specially so since, in most cases pinnacle dives in the Southern Africa region tend to be minor bumps in the ocean bottom, where the feature part of the dive is generally pretty low on the agenda and looking for blue water action is the fundamental task. Oct/Nov 09
So when the dive operator told me it was named 3 sisters, I began to get a little more interested. However, based on my experience of the 3 sisters in southern Mozambique I was still thinking small-time dive site. Anyway since we were there, and I’m always up for a new dive, we headed out with a double tank plan because of the distance. It is so far out that you lose sight of the land and the launch estuary and can see way north up to an outcrop towards San Sebastian at the southern tip of the Vilanculos / Bazaruto area.
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This is your first obstacle since any wind makes the ocean surface choppy and therefore almost impossible to travel a great distance. Once on the dive site, we dropped in and because of current and distance offshore I dropped free dive style through the endless clear blue water. This is a deep dive Utopia. The 3 sisters are massive outcrops at least 15m in diameter each. The bottom is at about 55m and is clearly visible from the pinnacle tops, which are at 32m. The three pinnacles are staggered into the current with a beautiful small freestanding pillar up current on the north side (the current was running north to south both times we dived the site). If you get to dive these sites my recommendations are: head straight for the pillar and enjoy the coral tree growth, which harbors thousands of goldies and significant schools of coachman and wrasse. This is also the area where I encountered multiple spotted eagle rays in formation either hovering in the current or getting cleaned. The site also serves as a cleaner station for Manta as well as other pelagics such as the giant ignoblis, of which I saw 4 (at least 80kg each). Watching time and depth (I touched 46m on this site) move towards the first sister and by utilizing the current enjoy drifting over the top of the first pinnacle. The key here is not to get swept off the site; otherwise at that depth there is no way of going against the current to rejoin the site and one should make an ascent immediately. Also carry a surface marker buoy. I had spotted on the first dive what I called the “keyhole”, between the first and second pinnacle. This is a narrow vertical hole, which is either forming a complete hole, or was one but now has a narrower bridging section above. The current compresses into the keyhole and “shooting it “ can be exhilarating - make sure to swim out of the current and behind the second pinnacle wall as soon as you are through. After this, ascend to the summit of the second pinnacle to claim back some bottom time and enjoy hovering above the features at 28m whilst getting swept over the saddle to the last pinnacle, which has a gentle slope up to its flat top. Then hide behind the trailing edge enjoying the last few minutes of bottom-time out of the current before ascending. The dive is so full of features to enjoy. It rises distinctly off the sea floor and provides for blue water viewing as well as macro and coral life. All this, in brilliant crystal-clear water. Andrew dived Pomene 3 sisters with Pomene Lodge www.barraresorts.com
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At the Birmingham Dive Show you can find everything under the sun (and the sea). Visiting divers can compare or buy “essential” kit; plan or book dive trips; or meet some of sport diving’s biggest names.
The show takes place over two days - 24th and 25th of October - and hosts in excess of 16 000 visitors. Dive Show presentations this year will feature underwater explorer and Oceans leader Paul Rose, deep-sea shipwreck hunter David Mearns, shark conservationist Richard Peirce and many other favourite speakers.
Hosted by Sandton Scuba, AfricanDiver will be spreading the news about diving in Africa to the more-than 16 000 visitors that will come to the show. Taking Africa to the world AfricanDiver.com May your bubbles always be free
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Oct/Nov 09
Filming Whites in the early days by Gordon Hiles
For at least the last 10 years, there seems to have been a fascination amongst the TV documentary channels with shark films. We have regular “shark week” or “shark month” specials. We have spectacular films depicting the breaching Great Whites off Seal Island in False Bay, Cape Town. We have numerous films on people who push the limits of interaction with sharks. The majority of these programs are well filmed and well produced, and most certainly inform and educate the public, hopefully benefitting the remaining shark population on the planet. Also, technology today enhances the ability of producers to come up with visually spectacular productions. So, what of the early days of capturing images of these “dangerous” animals? Dyer Island off Kleinbaai on the South Cape Coast is undoubtedly the centre of shark viewing and filming in South Africa. This is also where I began my career in underwater camerawork and filmmaking. In 1984 while still working at the SABC in Johannesburg, I was asked by a TV producer if I wanted to shoot a program on seals off the Cape Coast. I was game for anything of course so went ahead and did an openwater dive course. Armed with this basic diving training and an underwater rig consisting of an Arriflex 16SR film camera and an Arrimarin housing, we headed for Dyer Island. AfricanDiver.com 7
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I had done most of my schooling in Cape Town and during this time did a great deal of skin diving and spearfishing along the False Bay coast. So getting back into the sea as a scuba diver was a welcome return of activity. I had no problem in adapting and becoming comfortable on scuba, and managing a fairly large camera housing was also no real issue since we, my two brothers and I, had played with our own home-built underwater stills cameras during those skin diving days. The standing marine reserve regulations back in the early 80s were not really restrictive in any way. Basic common sense conservation was the order of the day. Dyer Island was uninhabited at the time so we were able to stay on the island in the existing government buildings, albeit that they were in a bad state of disrepair. This had been arranged by our guide, one Sparks Esterhuize, a local Stellenbosch and Hermanus personality. Staying on the island made it very easy to be on the spot to film as and when conditions were best
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and since we were the only people out there, we were certainly not restricted by crowds. Only the occasional Gansbaai or Kleinbaai fishermen would motor by on their boats while out catching their daily quota. I clearly remember the first dive in the channel between Dyer and Geyser Rocks where the approximately 10,000 fur seals congregated. We had anchored the boat about 15m off the seal colony in the calm channel. The water appeared clean and we dropped in amongst the seal pups that played around in the shallow water. I took a bit of time to settle down before attempting the first burst of 16mm film to capture my first movie footage underwater. In front of the camera were about 20 young Cape Fur seals all eyeing the camera, darting towards and then swimming away at the last minute. The excitement drew the attention of a few adult females that moved in with a far more threatening approach.
Oct/Nov 09
But this was not a problem since this was normal behaviour and while seals might hunt fish in packs, I was sure they did not hunt humans in the same manner. I had also experienced this during the skin diving days in False Bay so I was sort of expecting it. I must have shot about half a roll of film (5 minutes worth) when I noticed that the number of seals had diminished quite significantly. I looked around to see if I had drifted further into the channel thus leaving the populated area. While looking around, my eyes fixed onto a different shape in the water. It was lager than the seals for sure; and it was not in any great hurry. Almost instantaneously the triangular dorsal fin told me what was approaching. The openwater dive course had not necessarily included this aspect of your first dive so it was up to me to understand and manage this new scenario. The only thing I felt I had to my advantage was the presence of a farily large and robust underwater camera housing. As I watched, this magnificent 3-4m shark lazily glided by causing
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the remaining seals to rapidly vacate the area. The shark continued past about three meters away apparently not in the slightest bit interested in me. It then made a semi about turn, swan to within 1,5m where after it turned and slowly vanished into the murky water. I remember having a feeling of apprehension but since this action only lasted about 10 seconds at most, there was not really much time to crap myself. Also, the surprise element resulted in me failing to switch on the camera, so a first time opportunity for an almost perfect shot was sadly missed. Back on the boat, Sparks Esterhuize commented that he forgot to mention that we should also be on the lookout for the “Tommiehaai” – the Great White Shark. The local name “Tommiehaai” comes from the time of the stranding of the Birkenhead at Danger Point, a short distance across the sea from Dyer Island. When this ship got itself stuck on the submerged rock and started sinking, the women and children filled the life boats while the soldiers waited on the ship; but as the ship slipped below the water, the soldiers had to try and swim for the shore. While a large number drowned dragged down by their sodden heavy military clothing, others were taken by sharks, and since British soldiers were known as Tommys, the Great White was dubbed the Tommiehaai in the area. Contents
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It also dawned upon me then that during our spearfishing days while at school, these were the sharks that used to show interest in the catch that we would slip onto a wire ‘T’-piece strung to a our weight belts. All we did then was to swim into the kelp! We spent two days out at Dyer Island. Subsequent dives provided a lot more seal footage and fortunately more opportunity for a few Great White Shark shots; although the visibility had dropped and getting close enough for a good shot was not necessarily appropriate. One or two of these shots were included in the seal program however. During the mid to late 80s, my underwater filming tasks were few and far between mainly because the idea or habit of shooting underwater had not yet really caught on. I did a few wet scenes for the John Ross series and one or two small shots for 50/50 on nature subjects involving underwater creatures, the Southern Right whale being one of them. In 1987, I worked on a reasonably low budget commercial with Tony Shuttleworth where we filmed a fridge underwater. The ‘Ocean’ commercial became quite talked about with images of the two main characters Monty the moray eel and George the potato bass now accessible to TV viewers. For the record, we captured all the required underwater footage in one 40 minute dive shooting about 7 minutes of 16mm film only! A few years later in 1992, and while still in the SABC, I was appointed as cameraman to an Australian documentary production. This was to produce a story on the development of the shark pod that the Natal Sharks Board was busy with at the time. The people in the film and my co-workers were none other than Ron and Valerie Taylor of ‘Blue Water, White Death’ fame from 1971. We started out filming in Durban with the Sharks Board and then moved on to Cape Town where we met Theo and Craig Ferreira who would be providing the boat and chum service.
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Theo went from shark hunter to shark conservator when Len Compagno required someone to take care of the field work for his early research on the Great White. Len therefore enlisted the services of Theo and his son Craig. When the Australian production needed a similar service for filming to test the shark pod on Great Whites, Theo and Craig were called upon to provide the means and to knock together the first shark cage that would be dropped into Dyer Island channel. Once at Dyer Island, Ron Taylor did the underwater filming while I took care of all the surface footage. When the reinforcing steel and mesh cage was deployed to the water for the first time, I commented that we never had one of these last time. Valerie (who did 99% of the talking) asked, “You’ve been here before?” So of course I needed to explain my previous experience and this drew varied responses ranging from “that’s very dangerous” to some of disbelief that I’d been there before filming as early as 1984. However, that was not the important thing and we got on with the job of shooting the tests with the shark pod. Our first couple of days were reasonably successful but as with most projects like this the director, Dick Dennison wanted more ‘good shark footage’! However, the good old Cape weather moved in and put paid to Dick’s aspirations. We moved across to False Bay to try our luck at Seal Island, but the conditions were even worse there. Pity about this because we might have been the first film crew to get the ‘airjaws’ shots that made Chris Fellows famous. One could visibly see the depression setting in and after a couple of very non-productive days, incumbent Sharks Board director Graham Charter and I decided that a tour to the Stellenbosch winelands was the required tonic to lift the depression. AfricanDiver.com 11
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Walt Stearns
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Once there and enjoying a fine lunch with fine wine on the lawns of the Boschendal Estate, our Australian visitors regained their zest for life almost accepting that SA wines were superior to the Aussie stuff. Coincidently the weather also showed a sudden change as we received a report from Gansbaai that the conditions had turned and a fine couple of days were expected on the south coast of the Cape. Back at the old Gansbaai Hotel again that evening, Dick Dennison put a master plan into place and sent me and my soundman Glenn Howden out to Dyer Island early the next morning to get dramatic build up shots. We were then on hand to shoot the arrival scene of the underwater team complete with the cage on the boat. To cut a short story long; the shark gods were on our side that day. We had stunning warm, clear, sunny, near windless conditions. Ron Taylor reported 8-10m visibility in the channel (which is good!), and on top of that we were on neap tides with very little current to worry about. It was just one of those days when it all came together and the Great Whites obliged by arriving in numbers hardly ever experienced in the channel. If memory serves me correctly, we identified up to 12 different sharks that morning. By lunch time we were done with filming and had a very happy Australian film crew ready to leave South Africa with some awesome shark footage to take home. The documentary film “Shark Shocker” was flighted on Discovery Channel a few months later. The following year the SABC was involved in a coproduction with a Californian based company to produce “African Shark Safari”. This was at about the beginning of the “Shark Week” specials on Discovery. I was sent along again to Dyer Island, this time to do the underwater shooting alongside an underwater “shooter” from Florida in the US. This was Wes Skiles and he ‘entertained’ us with his skills of cuddling seal pups on the shoreline of Geyser Rocks until one pup looked up and realizing this was not Mom, sank its needle sharp teeth into his cheek. The seal AfricanDiver.com 12
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pup went one way, fortunately into the water, and Wes had to get medical attention from a doctor on the boat. A while later he was back in the water executing a stealth approach with his camera in front of him to shoot a pointof-view type shot that a shark might see when swimming up to the rocks hunting for a baby seal. One large mother seal recognized this as predatory and understood the basic principle of ‘attack is the best form of defence’ and nailed Wes on his shoulder sending him back to the boat for round two of patch up. Nett result – Seals 2, Wes nil! However, about three to four weeks of filming saw the accumulation of some unique footage. Bear in mind that this was the very early 90s so the whole hype of shark filming off the SA shores had not yet begun in earnest. This time round the surface footage was done by cameraman Paul Kruger on Betacam video, but we still shot underwater on 16mm film. Wes had his own hybrid camera specially built for him, and I was using the trusty Arri 16SR in housing again. One of my most memorable images during the shoot was that of a 5,5m female Great White appearing silently out of the murky 3m visibility and filling the camera viewfinder so that there was no space for her pectoral fins in the picture. She was heading for a nose to camera collision, but millimeters from the camera she adjusted direction sufficiently to glide by without touching anything. It was at this point that the immense size became evident as her body seemed never ending as she moved past. Even with my head underwater, I could hear the screams of awe from Craig and Mike up on the boat. Another incident to mention is the one where I had a visitor in the cage. We had decided to split the team and work two areas so Wes stayed at Dyer Island and I went with Craig to Struisbaai at Cape Agulhas. We were working in the bay about 5km from the harbour and things were fairly quiet. Eventually a lone shark moved in on the chum slick. I had the camera outside of the cage opening and the 3,5m shark made a sudden turn focusing her attention directly at the lens port. She just kept
moving in and I pulled the camera back into the cage with the shark following. Eventually I was squeezed into the bottom of the cage with shark so close that her nose was out of focus on a 5.7mm wide angle lens. She realized she was trapped in some way and instinctively thrust sideways allowing her to escape back into the open water. This provided a bit of relief for me needless to say. Wes also had a small Hi8 camera (Mini DV was yet to arrive on the scene) in a housing that he deployed wrapped inside a shroud of fish meat. His plan was to record shots of a shark opening its mouth to bite or swallow something. The camera was to be protected by a tube of aluminium around which the large fillet of fish was bound. This camera was then set to record and lined off the back of the boat in the chum slick. As a back-up, Wes had taken the precaution to connect a video take-off to a recorder on the boat. Good thing too because the first shark that came by took one large mouthful and made off with his prized “bite-cam”. Included in his exclamations of “awesome jaw shot” and such like, the comment “Sh*t, he’s taken the whole frikkin camera” was also heard as Wes stood on the deck with the ripped end of a video cable in his hand and bemused look on his face. Hey, he still got the shot – probably a first timer as well. Even today though, the camera is still on the missing list. There were a couple of other amusing incidents during the shoot, not least the fact that after so many days of facing off against the notorious Great White (albeit inside a cage) and not having any injuries from the actual predator itself, I had to go and take a fall on the boat and severely dislocate my left shoulder! So who says sharks are dangerous?? On the whole though these two early doccies set the scene for Dyer Island to become a filming destination of note for the Great White Shark. I was asked by Thomas Horton, the film producer from California when the first shots of Great Whites had been recorded at Dyer Island as he was keen to Oct/Nov 09
source some of the material for inclusion in the film. I had to research that and get back to him. It transpired that probably those shots that I had grabbed on my first visit there were indeed the first shots in question. Sadly though, a search of the archives at SABC rendered nothing of that material, and I can only think that all that remains could be a scratchy VHS copy somewhere of the program that went out on “Uit en Tuis” way back in 1984. Does anyone remember the humble little fishing villages of Gansbaai and Kleinbaai? I do – I was there when they were just that – and just look at them today…….
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Oct/Nov 09
Moving Sushi The Marine Resource Expedition reflects by Mike Markovina All photos courtesy Oceana
The journey through West Africa interviewing important stakeholders (including NGO’s, government officials, local fishers and industry officials who actively partake in various activities within the marine realm), provided the Marine Resource Expedition with a valuable understanding of marine resource management in Africa. However, by not focusing on Europe and Asia (who are major role players in contributing to the decline of commercially important fish stocks) our observations would have been one-sided and incomplete. To understand the significant role that EU and Asia plays in captive fisheries, we left Tangiers in Morocco and headed to Portugal and Spain. Our task being; to understand the positive side to marine resource use. Portugal and Spain have a long history in fisheries, however Spain is regarded as one of the worst offenders of fisheries regulations.
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In a discussion with a member of the European Commission involved in fisheries, she stated (off the record) “there is nothing positive about the European Union with regards to fisheries, the system is designed to make money and access fish resources internationally”. The EU is currently revamping its Common Fisheries Policy integrating conservation, fisheries management practices - all great on paper, but how about in practice? Our access to film was denied to one of the largest fisheries wholesales in Madrid, as was our attempt to observe the shark auctions in the port of Vigo. So to understand just what was happening within Spain and the EU, the we visited Oceana (a conservation NGO working on the preservation of the oceans globally) and ICCAT (International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas). Both institutions work for the benefit of ocean resources, and both are important for successful EU, as well as African, fisheries management. Among the numerous projects that Oceana undertakes of particular interest (as the consequences span across international borders and relates directly back to Africa), iss an assessment of the shark by-catch and discards in the EU international tuna fishing fleet - including the illegal Moroccan, Turkey, Algeria and possibly Libyan driftnet tuna and swordfish fisheries. Shark fishing by the EU fleet occurs throughout the world’s oceans, yet statistical data pertaining to catch and by-catch rates are incomplete. According to Oceana, between 40 and 70 foreign trawlers operate nearly all-year round off Mauritania through access agreements and private arrangements. The huge nets of these mega trawlers are approximately 90 meters long by 50 meters wide (nearly the size of a rugby field). The trawlers are often accompanied by Russian, Lithuanian and Icelandic trawlers - catching an estimated 500 000 metric tons of small pelagic fish and unreported by-catch (including sharks, dolphins, manta rays and turtles). AfricanDiver.com 15
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For the WWF, ICCAT, Oceana and other stakeholders in African fisheries, the common opinion is that this exploitation cannot be sustained. In general, scientists consider shark bycatch in the tuna fisheries high, and many shark stocks, at current level of capture, will decline. The ICCAT sub-committee on by-catch carried out an assessment of the state of the blue shark (Prionace glauca), and the shortfin mako (Isurus oxyyrinchus). It concluded that there was insufficient data to make appropriate recommendations for these stocks. The continued use of illegal driftnets by the Italian and Moroccan fleet will only compound the inaccuracy of the data, as not only do they not report accurately their tuna and swordfish catches, but neglect to record or submit any by-catch data, as their fishing gear is condemned internationally. In 2004, Morocco revealed a plan to phase out the use of driftnets over a 4-year period, culminating on 1 January 2009. An assessment of this fishery is yet to be conducted. However, poor control and compliance management on the part of the authorities has been at the root of mitigating against the use of this gear. No agreements or phase-out plans have been discussed or implemented yet for Turkey, Algeria and Libya.
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In a report compiled by Oceana regarding the shark by-catch in the Atlantic tuna fisheries, Shelley Clarke, a Hong Kong based scientist, suggested that, based on the amounts of shark fins traded on the Hong Kong market, she estimates that actual blue shark catches in the Atlantic are 5 times higher than reported, and 4.5 times higher for the shortfin mako. Clearly if sharks are not managed appropriately (i.e. as target catch and therefore falling under management and control regulations) stocks will continue to decline. A researcher, based in Spain, suggested to me that fishing fleets target sharks specifically, because they are easy to catch - no requirement for specific bait, use less fuel and there is a good market for fins in the east and in Italy for shark meat. So fishing vessels use tuna quotas to target sharks. Oceana has suggested to the European Union basic mitigation measures for the shark by-catch fishery. These include; improvement of gear to increase selectivity (mesh size, gear type, soak time), closed areas and/or periods where fishing activities are restricted (relation to specific shark spawning areas), fixed fishery limits for by-catch (as incidental catch exceeds this figure, then the by-catch is considered target specie and thus regulated with a fisheries management plan), catch limits and quotas. Oct/Nov 09
Furthermore in the European Union fisheries, there should be a moratorium on discarding by-catch. Such an initiative has been shown to be effective in the Norwegian cod fishery. By banning discards, observers will acquire accurate measurable data relating to fishing mortality of sharks, which ultimately would be incorporated in ICCAT quota allocations for fishing fleets within its member states. Lastly the capture of commercially exploited shark species by EU vessels must be regulated under the Common Fisheries Policy with management plans that include fishing limits and quotas. European fisheries management and policy affect not only African fisheries but global fisheries as well!
The Marine Resource Expedition would like to thank ICCAT and Oceana for their help regarding fisheries information during our stay in the EU
So, with this in mind the Marine Resource Expedition will move from Spain to Norway, to understand just how Norway manages its fish stocks so effectively, and why they are not part of the EU common fisheries policy. Our hope is to find solutions to managing fisheries and marine resources back in Africa.
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Oct/Nov 09
Tuna by African Diver images by Oceana
According to a recently posted article by the World Wildlife Fund (“WWF”) on their website www.worldwildlife.org, tuna is considered among the commercially most valuable fish on the planet. Tuna is the third most traded marine commodity after shrimp and groundfish and recently exceeded USD6 billion per annum. That is a staggering figure and I wonder how many kilograms of tuna that represents! Tuna fishing occurs on an unprecedented scale making use of highly sophisticated science to track, catch and process these fish. What is frightening though is that most tuna stocks AfricanDiver.com 18
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are already fully exploited or depleted. Adding to this alarm is that this intensive fishing is disrupting ecosystems through the unsustainable bycatch of species including sharks, marine turtles, small cetaceans and seabirds. The good news is that the WWF has joined with eight of the tuna industry’s leading companies to found the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (“ISSF”), a global partnership dedicated to the science-based management and conservation of tuna stocks and ocean health. Oct/Nov 09
Four priority places have been identified by the WWF for management and conservation. These are: the Galapagos, the Mediterranean, Coral Triangle and Coastal East Africa. For us at African Diver, the Coastal East Africa priority place is of critical importance. East African ocean stocks are among the world’s most fertile and least managed tuna grounds. The area is home to 24 percent of global tuna catch, 27 percent of global yellowfin catch and 23 percent of skipjack catch – a significant contribution. Of concern is the exploitation of these stocks, the resultant bycatch and impact on the ecosystem and the degree of local employment provided. I could not find any information on the degree of local employment provided by the industrial fishing companies exploiting these East African stocks but I did find a thoughtprovoking article on dolphin-friendly tuna. This interesting article ties in with my concerns for the impact on the tuna grounds ecosystem. The essence of the article is that tuna caught using dolphin-friendly methods is only good for the dolphin. There is significant bycatch of endangered and sensitive species using dolphin-friendly methodology. For a detailed discussion on the subject go to http://southernfriedscience.com but I’ll summarise the discussion here. Tuna is netted using purse-seine methods. Tuna are located and then encircled by catch boats that net the fish. The fish are then transferred to a factory boat for processing. The issue is not so much about the method of capture but more about how the tuna are located. In the past, tuna were located by following dolphin. Dolphin unfortunately became bycatch when the tuna were netted. Following pressure from activist groups (like Greenpeace), tuna fishing changed to using Fish Attracting Devices (“FADs”) to catch tuna. Fishing companies place floating FADs in the ocean to attract tuna and then scoop up the tuna when there are enough tuna attracted to the FAD. Today, FADs are sophisticated floating objects equipped with sonar and video cameras and tracking devices so that efficacy of the FAD can be monitored. So what’s the problem you may ask? The big problem is that FADs don’t only attract tuna. They attract everything! Sea turtles, sharks, seabirds, billfish and, of course, dolphin. From my research, it appears that the only species dolphin-friendly tuna is good for is, Dolphin. The bycatch rate for every other species caught is higher than dolphin bycatch when FADs are used! AfricanDiver.com 19
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The environmental justice foundation has concluded that for every dolphin saved the bycatch cost is 382 mahi-mahi, 188 wahoo, 82 yellowtail and other large fish, 27 sharks and almost 1 200 small fish. So what is the answer then – do we revert to following dolphin and catching tuna that way, with the concomitant catch of dolphin? Or do we continue to decimate other species by “protecting” (i.e. minimising) dolphin? Or should we, as consumers, just stop eating tuna? It boils down to simple economics. If we don’t buy tuna, fishing companies have no-one to sell it to. And if they have no-one to sell it to, then they will have to find something else to do. We cannot rely on the WWF or other organisations to fight this fight for us. We have to individually and collectively take a stand and pass the word on. Good Fish, bad fish The Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (“SASSI”) is a WWF initiative to help consumers make the right choices when buying fish at restaurants. SMS the name of the fish to 079 499 8795 for an instant colour-coded response. Responses indicating red or orange are to be avoided. Responses indicating green are good. Some examples: Red (illegal to sell) Orange (avoid if possible) Steenbras Kingklip Galjoen Bluefin tuna Kingfish Cob River Snapper Sole East Coast Lobster Swordfish
Green (go for it) Yellowtail dorado Butterfish Hake John Dory Mackerel Snoek
Warning: some fish suppliers and even some restaurants will change the name of a fish if it is illegally caught. For a full guide on fish to avoid and a list of SASSI-approved restaurants visit www.wwf.org.za/sassi
Oct/Nov 09
Cape Catsharks - curiouser & curiouser by Georgina Jones
Mention Cape Town diving and the conversation turns inevitably to sharks. By ‘sharks’ people usually mean the big toothy brutes which are firmly, if irrationally, believed to spend their days cruising in search of a feast of tender human flesh. These same people are also usually slightly incredulous to discover that though there are many sharks seen around the Cape Peninsula by scuba divers, the sight of them is extremely rarely traumatogenic. This is because most of the sharks seen around Cape Town are small and more likely to inspire the ‘oh cute’ reflex than a mental replay of the soundtrack from ‘Jaws’. They are part of a big group known as catsharks, the Scyliorhinidae. About 100 species are found worldwide in tropical and temperate waters, although catsharks are usually found in very deep water. We are fortunate around South Africa not only to have 16 species in our area, 11 of them endemic to the region, but also, that several of them are inshore sharks so that, as divers, we have the pleasure of seeing them bustling about the reefs and wrecks on their business. Around the Cape Peninsula, four species are commonly seen.
Left: A pyjama party: catsharks are social animals and sleep in piles under convenient overhangs (Jean Tresfon)
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The biggest of the four is the distinctive pyjama catshark (Poroderma africanum), growing up to a metre in total length. As one might guess from the name, the pyjama catshark is striped. Its close cousin is the leopard catshark (Poroderma pantherinum), and unsurprisingly, it has leopard-like rosettes and spots arranged in stripes on its body. Rather like its namesake, the leopard catshark is very much a creature of the night and is only rarely seen during the day, preferring to while away the daylight hours sleeping under overhangs or in caves before setting forth to hunt for its prey. Their smaller cousins are the puffadder shyshark (Haploblepharus edwardsii), a lovely golden-brown creature marked with several Top: a pair of pyjamas (Jean Tresfon) Right: a pyjama catshark at ease (Jean Tresfon)
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white-spotted saddles; and the dark shyshark (Haploblepharus pictus), which is more often seen on the Atlantic side of the peninsula. This is a stockier animal, having dark saddles which may have yellowish spots. These sharks are all oviparous, which is to say their young develop in egg cases, which the females lay in pairs. Mating is a vigorous affair, with the male biting the female on her pectoral Top: a puffadder shyshark going about its business on a Cape reef (Geoff Spiby) Top Right: a puffadder shyshark peers out from a dense forest of feather stars (Geoff Spiby) Right: a shyshark failing to be traumatogenic, to humans at least (Geoff Spiby)
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fins to hold her in position so that he can insert his claspers. Though the females often show signs of skin damage post mating, they seem untroubled, swimming off afterwards without hesitation. It is the males who come off the worst, with older males showing signs of scarring and calcification on their claspers. Clearly male catsharks are made of stern stuff. In due course the female will lay a pair of eggs in cases known as mermaid’s purses. Females can sometimes be seen with tendrils trailing from their bodies. These are part of the egg cases and after while, they seem to irritate the female, which goes in search of an upright support such as a sea fan and begins to swim around it. This causes the strings to catch on the support and the circular swimming helps to gradually pull the egg case out. The yolks are easy to see through the surface of the egg case, and occasionally the embryonic shark can be seen wriggling inside as well. The egg cases are a potential feast for carnivorous snails, octopus and other sharks. The lucky occupants which avoid the attention of predators emerge after 3-6 months, biting their way out of the egg cases and setting off to seek their own prey. They are very small at this stage, all of them smaller than 15cm, and frequently become another predator’s dinner. If they manage to escape from the many hungry mouths on the reefs, they feed on small bony fishes, crustaceans and octopus and may live for over twenty years. This group is also known as shysharks because of its members’ habit of curling up into a ball with their tail or pectoral fin over their eyes when threatened. It is possible that the purpose of this action is to produce a bigger shape which is more difficult for a predator to swallow. Given that
Left: The egg case of a pyjama shark (Geoff Spiby) Top: Living treasure in a leopard catshark’s mermaid’s purse (Geoff Spiby) Bottom: shysharks lay two egg cases at a time, attaching them by twined tendrils to vertical supports. Perhaps this is to keep them away from the attentions of hungry predators (Geoff Spiby)
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the total diamater of the ball is often not much over 20cm, this probably doesn’t discourage many predators other than the smaller ones. It does raise their cuteness factor though. So yes, Cape Town diving, sharks, lots of them. But scary sharks? No.
Left: a baby shyshark about to bite its way out of its egg case and begin life in the outside world (Geoff Spiby) Top: a shyshark, making itself too big to eat (to small predators at least - Phil Parr)
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Oct/Nov 09
www.danielbotelho.com
Featured photographer - Daniel Botelho
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Taken at the 2009 sardine run off the coast of South Africa on assignment for National Geographic Brazil
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In a union between a passion for art and nature, Daniel developed the concept of contemporary art photography, his particular style of portraying wildlife. “My intention is that people can decorate their homes with pictures of wildlife respecting the aesthetics and texture inherent in the contemporary decor while providing these images for linkage of brands and advertising projects.” In his incessant search for flagrant and landscapes, Daniel spends hours in the woods or submerged in the most remote places on the planet, imposing its photos in a particular way to view and interact with the natural world. “I hope all have fun and spend good time seeing my art, and if possible to use this material to respect and admire increasingly this fabulous world we live in and its inhabitants.”
Oct/Nov 09
How does having asthma affect diving and the possibility of diving? Asthma is a chronic disorder of the lungs in which there is a tendency for the muscles surrounding the bronchi (breathing tubes) to contract excessively. This causes a narrowing, or bronchoconstriction, with a resulting increase in breathing resistance, particularly during exhalation, which may manifest as wheezing, chest “tightness”, coughing or breathlessness. Learn about the effects of asthma and diving including the effects of asthma medication and diving, and how to determine if you’re fit to dive with asthma. This article is a stepping stone to help asthmatic divers try and manage this chronic disorder.
Many factors may trigger an episode
of asthma or bronchial constriction including exposure to allergens, noxious fumes, cold air, exercise or respiratory infections such as “colds” or flu. The increase in breathing resistance due to narrowing of the airways may be aggravated by the collection of mucus within the airways. As far as diving is concerned, there are basically three issues that make scuba diving risky for asthmatics:
The Asthmatic Diver By DAN Medical team
1. increased breathing resistance with build-up of carbon dioxide, 2. increased risk for lung overpressure injuries, and 3. effects of the medication on diving. INCREASED BREATHING RESISTANCE
As soon as the human body is immersed in water, there is an increased resistance to breathing due to the mechanical and antigravity effects of being in water. In addition, there may be greater oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production due to exercise as this requires a greater exchange of air and more breathing effort. There is also the effect of depth on gas density: with greater density of gas comes a further increase in breathing resistance. In an individual with breathing difficulties due to asthma, these additional demands on the body may be sufficient to lead to a critical build-up of carbon dioxide with panic or loss of consciousness. Image by Cormac McCreesh
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LUNG OVERPRESSURE INJURIES
Narrowing of the airways and mucus production impairs the ability to exhale easily. As a result, air trapping may occur during ascent, particularly in an emergency ascent due to panic or breathlessness. This predisposes the diver to pulmonary arotrauma leading to pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum and/or cerebral arterial gas embolism. EFFECTS OF THE MEDICATION ON DIVING
The “reliever” pumps can lead to a tremor and anxiety, which may predispose to loss of dexterity and diving accidents. A further theoretical concern is that some of the medications also lead to dilation of the blood vessels in the lungs, which may cause a loss of effectiveness in filtering out small bubbles commonly formed during decompression. This increases the risk of paradoxical embolism (i.e. gas embolism not caused by pulmonary barotrauma). The risk is obviously difficult to quantify or prove. DETERMINING FITNESS TO DIVE IN DIVERS WITH ASTHMA
To avoid risks related to impaired breathing and pulmonary overpressure, divers with asthma must have unimpaired lung functions that remain stable during the normal exposures related to diving. Divers who experience persistent or regular asthma attacks in response to exercise, cold or “stress” are discouraged to dive. Diving should obviously be avoided during and up to 48 hours after an asthma attack or any upper respiratory tract infection causing pulmonary symptoms (i.e. coughing or wheezing). Previously the only asthmatics that were considered fit for recreational diving were
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those whose symptoms were completely controlled on inhaled cortisone. The use of a short-acting bronchodilator, also called “rescue” or “reliever” medication (e.g. Ventolin ® or Venteze ®) was not considered appropriate as its effects were unpredictable and short-lived. With more modern long acting bronchodilators (e.g. Serevent ®) or combination bronchodilator/cortisone combinations (e.g. Seretide ®) – also called “‘controller medication” – some divers are now permitted to dive if their symptoms are controlled completely and their lung function remains stable and unimpaired. However, the asthma should be stable for at least three months after starting the medication. The following would indicate the need for reassessment of medical fitness to dive: 1. any deterioration in pulmonary function, wheezing 2. or regular early morning coughing; 3. any intercurrent asthma attack or need for “rescue” or “reliever” medication in addition to the long acting medication; and 4. any significant chest infection (i.e. symptoms lasting more than a week). Asthma is known for its tendency to wax and wane. Symptoms appear with a chest cold and remain for several weeks thereafter. Autumn and spring may bring exposure to allergens that provoke attacks. As a result, fitness to dive cannot be assumed and it must be assessed consciously by the diver prior to each dive. Diving is not recommended unless the diver is completely free of respiratory symptoms before each dive. Indeed, most diving medical experts agree that asthmatics should not dive within 48 hours of using “rescue” or “reliever”
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medication and experiencing complete relief of symptoms. If an asthmatic has an attack, spirometry (a common pulmonary function test measuring lung function) should be done to assess the severity and need for treatment. The individual should not dive until the airway function returns to normal. Mild to moderate asthmatics with normal screening spirometry can be considered candidates for diving if their exhaled volume of air in one second (i.e. FEV1) is at least 75% of the full volume of exhaled gas (i.e. FVC). The risk of diving is probably acceptable if the diving candidate, with a history of asthma, shows no deterioration in lung function after strenuous exercise. However, divers must be made aware that they are facing an increased risk of an adverse event related to diving and no diver with asthma should be diving without restrictions. The minimum restrictions needed for diving are: 1. the diver should follow a personal testing protocol; and 2. diving should be adapted to account for possible problems ADAPTED DIVING PRACTICES
As depth increases so does the density and risk. Asthmatic divers should refrain from doing deep dives (i.e. no deeper 30 m). Deeper dives typically require decompression stops which a diver with asthma may not be able to complete if problems arise. Diving in areas where medical facilities are not available would also be a risk to consider
PERSONAL TESTING PROTOCOL: The first step is to ensure that your asthma is well controlled. This is done in collaboration with your treating physician. The control required for diving means that you should never, or very rarely, wheeze if on “controlling” medication or have to use your “reliever” medication. The severity of attacks is also an important factor and persons who have needed hospitalisation for their asthma within the past five years should not dive. If the asthma is well controlled, the diver should be seen by a doctor specifically trained in diving medicine. The objective is to assess the lung function values and to determine whether enough reserve capacity exists. Many divers may then need to see a specialist pulmonologist for further evaluation. After being cleared by the diving doctor, the diver should buy him or herself a peak flow meter (available at large pharmacies). Follow the instructions carefully to ensure that you perform the measurements correctly. The diver needs to perform a number of measurements per day for a period of at least two weeks. These measurements can be used to determine the “normal” peak flow values for the person. The person then performs a peak flow the day before diving and on the day of the dive. If the peak flow has decreased by more than 10% of the normal maximum value, the person should not dive until 48 hours after returning to normal. Example: The value of the early morning peak flow of the diver was 650 ml. A 10% drop in the value would mean that a value of less than 585 ml (650 ml – 65 ml) on the day of diving indicates that it is probably not safe for that person to dive.
Oct/Nov 09
Shark cartilage: the myths, the madness, and the science text by Dr Lynne Hepplestone BVSc images by Tim Hepplestone
Many of us are aware of the decline of shark populations by an increasing market for shark-fin soup, fishing by-catch and shark netting to protect beaches. However, many of us are not aware of the use of shark cartilage by the pharmaceutical industry as over-the-counter drugs for oesteoporisis and cancer. Fishing piracy along the East African coastline is increasing as the global shark population depletes. The stark reality of an unprotected Marine ecosystem exposed to unprecedented predation by Man is alarming. As shark populations diminish worldwide, the last remaining treasures are in African waters. Compounding the problem is that African governments have not sufficiently implemented legislation and regulation around Ocean Conservation. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UNFAO) statistics, more than 100 million sharks are being removed from the ocean annually. Of these, an approximate 73 million sharks were exploited by the shark-fin / shark cartilage trade alone, with the remaining 27 % caught as fishing by-catch in long-lines, netting, and deep trawling (as they are targeted by fisheries).
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UNFAO gather information from national fishery reports filed by member nations and note that “incomplete, inaccurate, and delayed reporting make gathering accurate data a challenge”. They concede that there could be significant under-reporting of fishery figures by 24% to 49%. There are some 400 species of shark identified globally, with some 98 species found in South African waters. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, and the World Conservation Union (CITES-IUCN) Congress held in Cape Town in 2003 recognized that Southern African waters hold 25% of the global chondrichthyan biodiversity. (Chondrichthyan = cartilaginous species of sharks and rays).
CS is also sourced from bovine (beef), porcine (pig), and avian (chicken) tracheal (windpipes) rings in the market place, as abattoir by-product. CS can also be synthetically manufactured, but is not utilized as it is too expensive to manufacture. It is worth noting that dolphin fins are also cartilaginous, but fortunately dolphin are not hunted for their fins, yet. Osteoarthritis CS is used to manage osteo-arthritis. Already a component of natural cartilage in the body, it enhances the body’s capacity to keep the existing cartilage elastic, resilient, strong and healthy. As the body ages, the natural source of CS degrades, and it becomes beneficial to supplement CS to protect the joints. However, the quality and source of CS used greatly affects how it is taken up by the body. The molecular composition (size / mass / purity) of the cartilage is dependent on the species of origin (e.g. shark or beef) and which can dramatically alter its efficacy. Current research indicates that the shark CS molecule, in its purest, high-quality form for use as a nutraceutical, has a molecular weight of +40kDa. Beef CS, in its purest form, can have a weight of 6 -10kDa.
Unsurprisingly, it was only a matter of time before Southern African shark resources were identified as a lucrative business by the fishing trade - as is now clearly evident in Mozambique. It is not uncommon to find a Spanish or Indonesian ship in South African or Namibian waters flying a South African or Namibian flag as foreign fleets often associate with a local fishery. Shark fin is highly sought-after by the fishing industry and its buyers. Found in the marketplace as the bourgeois shark-fin-soup to the Asian market, but also as nutraceuticals – shark cartilage misguidedly being used to treat joint ailments and cancer. For the latter, and tragically for the sharks, the market is driven by ignorance and misinformation. Cartliage Shark cartilage is made up of molecules of chondroitin sulphate (CS). This is the same cartilaginous, pearly-white, glistening lining that all mammals naturally have on their joint surfaces (knees, hips, elbows, windpipe). What is unique about shark cartilage is that the shark’s entire exoskeleton is made up of cartilage. This is of huge economic benefit to the buyer of shark product because the yield of cartilage per kilogram of shark is greater than with other animals. AfricanDiver.com 29
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The low-molecular weight CS sources are more effective. High molecular-weight CS, (e.g. shark), is ineffective to the human body. It is worth noting that, as there is no regulation in the nutraceutical industry, manufacturers are not required to indicate the source or molecular weight of CS used. This information is seldom found on any label. Leading research by Italian scientist Nicola Volpi clearly indicates that shark cartilage is a poor source of CS to the human body; the molecule is too large. This makes it poorly bioavailable. It is degraded in the intestines, passing through the gut and is eliminated by the body. So it does not reach where it is specifically needed: in the joints, or into a tumour. Volpi’s studies were performed on 2 groups of adult men, 1 group eating shark cartilage, the other bovine cartilage. The smaller bovine CS molecule showed increased intestinal permeability (successfully passing through the intestinal wall at a cellular level), increased bioavailability (readily taken up by the body), and so increased efficacy in stimulating cartilage repair and healing. As alternative sources of CS are commercially available, and the shark source is proven to be poorly bioavailable, it’s simply not necessary to use shark cartilage as a source of CS.
Oct/Nov 09
Cancer Starting in the ‘70’s, investigations were also made into the use of cartilage as a treatment for cancer. These published results proved, using rabbit and bovine cartilage, that blood supply to a tumour could be reduced, a process called anti-angiogenesis. By surgically attaching a sterile piece of cartilage onto a tumour, blood supply to the mass was reduced. No cartilage was ingested (taken into the mouth as a food supplement). In the early ‘80’s scientist Carl Luer poured carcinogens (aflatoxin B1 and MAM methylazoxymethanol-acetate) into a tank of Nurse sharks and Clear-nose rays, and, with no tumours evolving, deduced that shark’s don’t get cancer. There were no control groups, and known toxins to Mammalian Vertebrates were administered to Lower Invertebrates. With very little public sentiment about sharks, no queries appear to have been raised as to the ethics of this experiment. In 1983, the anti-angiogenic clinical trial was repeated using shark cartilage. Hearing about this, biochemist and businessman Dr I. William Lane deduced that shark cartilage cured cancer, and went on to publicly claim that: sharks don’t get cancer, and shark cartilage cures cancer. Lane was known to have vested interests in a fishing company, and through his own shark cartilage manufacturing company (Lane Labs) distributed shark cartilage as a product. He co-wrote the book, with Linda Comac, called “Sharks Don’t Get Cancer: How Shark Cartilage Could Save Your Life” (Avery Publ Group Inc., 1992) and went on to co-author a second book, “Sharks Still Don’t Get Cancer” (Avery Publ Group Inc., 1996). Lane must surely have known of the National Cancer Institute’s Registry of Tumors in Lower Animals (RTLA) which lists tumours found in sharks, including cartilage and liver cancer, because he conceded that “… while ALMOST No Sharks Get Cancer might have been more accurate, it would have been a rotten title.”
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Clinical studies, initiated by Lane in 3rd world countries of Cuba, Panama, and Mexico, with ingestion of shark cartilage were performed at such high dosages that some of it was administered per rectum (shark cartilage is known to be highly unpalatable to the human body on ingestion, causing nausea and vomiting). These studies are still criticized for a lack of controls in not adopting a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial protocol, and so distorting science.
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In December 1999 the FDA sought a permanent injunction against Lane Labs for making unproven claims of medical benefits associated with ingesting shark cartilage. With a $1 000 000 judgement against Lane Labs, they were ordered to sponsor a scientific clinical trial. The results concluded that this trial was unable to demonstrate any suggestion of efficacy for shark cartilage in patients with advanced cancer. (Loprinzi, Charles L. et al. Evaluation of shark cartilage in patients with advanced cancer. July 1, 2005). This result
is further validated by Volpi’s research into the molecular weight of CS, whereby shark CS is poorly bio-available to the human body anyway. Despite all the media attention, there is no current effective cancer treatment for humans utilizing any shark tissue or product, and current peer-reviewed scientific journals are unable to demonstrate any efficacy either, quite to the contrary rather. Oct/Nov 09
Media manipulation Again, as shark fin is poorly bioavailable to the human body, it is unsuitable as a joint supplement. But still the fascination holds, and with manipulation of the media it’s a myth sold cheaply to the public, and believed, fuelling the demand for shark products, and so perpetuating the decimation of an oceanic apex predator. While there is a proudly successful campaign of Wildlife Conservation on land, this has not yet translated into the necessary protection of the African oceans and its inhabitants. Recent evidence brought to light on the dealings in shark fin through Maputo in Mozambique is alarming, and warrant urgent attention. These resources are finite and endangered, requiring protection and conservation, for all of humanity to respect and uphold. Sharks are seen to be the apex predators in their ecosystems; their depletion or removal from these systems will significantly impact on the numerous marine species below them in the food chain. Marine experts believe that sharks are vital in maintaining marine biodiversity, and are concerned that some species may become extinct before their ecological role is fully understood. Sharks are inherently vulnerable to overexploitation and slow to recover from decline, as, typical of apex predators, they are slow growing, late-maturing, long-lived, and have lengthy reproductive cycles producing limited numbers of eggs or young. As to the greatest demand for shark fin being the Asian custom of fin soup…one may only hope that education, conservation, and a sense of global responsibility prevail in this day and age, with Governments implementing appropriate legislation and regulations before it’s too late. February 2007 Sharks added to the IUCN Red List : “Experts highlighted the vulnerability of these species to overfishing and concluded that several species are now threatened with extinction on a global scale.” Sobering thought for a species known to have survived the last 400 million years, and to be reduced to critically threatened levels (extinction) in the last 2 decades. 22 May 2008 More Oceanic Sharks on the IUCN Red List : “We are losing species at a rate 10 to 100 times greater than historic extinction rates…Despite mounting evidence of decline and increasing threats to these species, there are no international catch limits for oceanic sharks. Our research shows that action is urgently needed on a global level if these fisheries are to be sustainable.” AfricanDiver.com 32
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Table 1. Major shark catching countries and territories 1990 - 2004 Rank and Country / % global catch Territory
2004 Rank and Country / Catch (‘000 t) Territory and (global catch %)
Indonesia
12.3
Indonesia
122 (15.0%)
India Taiwan Pakistan Spain Mexico USA Japan Argentina Sri Lanka France Malaysia UK Brazil Thailand Portugal New Zealand Korea, Rep. of Nigeria Peru Total
9.1 6.3 5.8 5.7 4.8 4.6 3.9 3.3 3.1 2.9 2.9 2.5 2.4 2.3 2.1 2.0 1.9 1.4 1.3
India Spain Taiwan Mexico Argentina USA Thailand Pakistan Japan Malaysia France Brazil Sri Lanka Iran, Rep. of New Zealand UK Nigeria Portugal Yemen
61 (7.6%) 51 (6.3%) 44 (5.4%) 32 (4.0%) 32 (4.0%) 31 (3.8%) 28 (3.5%) 27 (3.4%) 37 (3.4%) 25 (3.1%) 22 (2.7%) 20 (2.5%) 20 (2.4%) 18 (2.3%) 17 (2.1%0 16 (2.0%) 14 (1.7%) 13 (1.6%) 13 (1.6%) 633 000 tons
Source: FAO Fisheries Department, Fishery Information, Data and Statistics Unit (2000)
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Table 2. Top 10 shark product exporters, 2004 Exporter Taiwan Spain Japan Panama UK Canada Costa Rica Ireland Chile Namibia Total
Exports (t) 16Â 239 11Â 670 5046 5002 4596 4142 4132 3793 3286 2997
% world exports 18.1 13.0 5.6 5.6 5.1 4.6 4.6 4.2 3.7 3.3 60 903 tons
Source: FAO Fisheries Department, Fishery Information, Data and Statistics Unit (2000)
AfricanDiver.com AfricanDiver is a free online diving magazine focussed on all types of diving in Africa.
The latest issue is now available for download or, if you prefer, you can download sections of it. We welcome contributions, enquiries and feedback. Our hope for AfricanDiver is that it is relevant, thought provoking and positive. We celebrate everything that African diving has to offer and we want you to, as well. Please visit our website often, email us at editor@africandiver.com and subscribe to be notified when issues are available for download. Spread the word, dive the seas and may your bubbles always be free.
REFERENCES Click here to obtain references
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Oct/Nov 09
DAN Research Activities Update
By Dr Frans J Cronjé
Images by Cormac McCreesh
The primary mission of DAN is to provide emergency medical advice and assistance for underwater diving injuries, to work to prevent injuries and to promote diving safety. The associated mission is to promote and support underwater diving research and education, particularly as it relates to the improvement of diving safety, medical treatment and first aid. Thirdly, DAN strives to provide the most up-to-date and unbiased information on issues of common concern to the diving public, primarily, but not exclusively, for diving safety.
“ A major step forward in the area of divingrelated research is the close relationship that has developed between DAN-SA and DAN Europe and the University of Stellenbosch.”
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All three of these mission-related areas require dedicated research. They form the blueprint for the activities of DAN in the area of diving-related research. DAN collects information from around the world and conducts studies in the field and in a laboratory setting to provide scientific data to answer relevant diving safety questions, investigate causes and incidences of injuries and fatalities in diving, and improve the therapy of dive injuries. DAN RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP WITH UNIVERSITY OF STELLENBOSCH A major step forward in the area of diving-related research is the close relationship that has developed between DAN-SA and DAN Europe and the University of Stellenbosch. In 2004, both DAN organisations signed an intellectual partnership agreement with the University of Stellenbosch. The partnership has been strengthened further by the appointment of Dr Jack Meintjes of the University of Stellenbosch as DAN-SA Medical Director and Dr Frans Cronjé as Senior Lecturer at the University of Stellenbosch. Professor Barney de Villiers from the University of Stellenbosch is also one of the DAN-SA board members and Sr Surita Fitchat has been appointed as Senior Nurse at the University of Stellenbosch. This relationship with the University of Stellenbosch as knowledge partner enhances the credibility of DAN-SA research and provides practical support in terms of research study design, epidemiology, statistical analyses and ethics committee review. ONGOING DAN RESEARCH PROJECTS – FIELD TESTING Project Dive Exploration/Dive Safety Laboratory PDE/DSL is an observational research study that collects and analyses dive profile data on real dives, and compiles data on behavioural and health aspects associated with recreational diving. To date, more than 150 000 diving profiles have been collected with approximately 50 cases of decompression illness and various other injuries and illnesses – mostly minor in nature, but still significant to the injured diver. DAN analyses the dive profiles as recorded by a depth/time recorder for each dive. The diver’s health status is also verified 48 hours after exiting the water. Any diver can participate in this project by donating the data related to their diving activity to DAN. This allows DAN to review diving activities around the globe and, if injuries or accidents do occur, to respond by providing information or undertaking research to improve diving safety in areas that appear to be unduly risky. TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROJECT, VISIT OUR WEBSITE ON www.dansa.org
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OXYGEN USE SURVEY CARD DAN Research is studying the effectiveness of the oxygen as first aid for diving emergencies. Unfortunately, unless informed of its use, DAN often doesn’t know when oxygen first aid is used in the field. If you haven’t received a copy of the Oxygen Use Survey Card, but would like to have a copy on hand to submit to DAN, you may download it here INJURY DATABASE DAN’s Research and Medical departments collect data on dive injuries of recreational divers who were treated in recompression chambers. This data is provided by recompression chambers in the DAN Southern Africa region. DAN-SA then compiles case reports and includes data from these reports in DAN’s annual Report on Decompression Illness, Diving Fatalities and Project Dive Exploration. FATALITY DATABASE DAN collects data on diving fatalities of recreational divers in the United States, Canada and diving destinations frequented by U.S. and Canadian divers. DAN compiles case reports, and includes data from these reports in DAN’s annual Report on Decompression Illness, Diving Fatalities and Project Dive Exploration. ONGOING FORMAL RESEARCH AND LABORATORY STUDIES DAN is involved in a number of formal research projects around the globe. Those specific to the DAN Southern Africa region are listed below. Click to see what is happening in the DAN America and DAN Europe regions. The association between deep decompression stops and spinal cord DCS in rats Decompression sickness (DCS) in divers remains a significant clinical problem in spite of appropriate diving safety measures. The exact mechanism of neurological DCS remains elusive. Recent research with human recreational divers at 82 fsw (25 m) has shown that the introduction of a “deep stop” at half the absolute dive pressure significantly decreases supersaturation of neurological tissues. AfricanDiver.com 36
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This study will test the hypothesis that the introduction of a “deep stop” is able to avoid the appearance histologically verifiable of spinal cord DCS in rats. Previous experimental and clinical work permits extrapolation to humans making this a clinically significant study. The objective of this study is to determine whether a deliberate stop during decompression, as opposed to gradual decompression of similar duration, reduces the incidence of a histopathologically verifiable manifestation of spinal cord decompression sickness in rats. If confirmed, this will lead to a fundamental change in our understanding of decompression theory and have potential impact on the safety of five million people participating in compressed gas diving worldwide. Previous work allows for better extrapolation from rodents to humans. The primary investigator is Dr Frans Cronjé of DAN Southern Africa. He is supported by the University of Stellenbosch and several international co-workers including Prof Peter Bennett and Dr Ole Hyldegaard. The study is funded by the University of Stellenbosch with additional research by DAN Europe, DAN Southern Africa and the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Association. BScMedScHons (Underwater Medicine) student research projects • Middle Ear Barotrauma Study: This study looked at the prevalence of middle ear barotrauma in novice (student) divers. The aim was to quantify the disease and to assess whether this has a significant influence on the ability of the student to complete the diving course. The results of this study indicated that although many students suffer mild degrees of middle ear barotrauma, this is in general not to such a degree that the student could not complete the course. The study, however, also indicated that students suffering from barotrauma all had symptoms before, which could have urged the instructor to practice caution and thus prevent injury. The next step is to take this study (that was conducted in the pool sessions of a diving school) to the open water. This will help determine what the incidence of middle ear barotrauma is in these settings. Oct/Nov 09
• DAN-SA hotline Emergency Calls Analysis: This is a study that described the demographics of the emergency calls received by the hotline. The origin of the call, as well as which actions were necessary are studied. DAN-SA can use the results of this study to decide on possible interventions to prevent emergencies as well as plan resource allocation based on the emergency needs of our clients. The study indicated that diving at Sodwana is not associated with a high incidence of decompression sickness. This is likely due to the fact that many novice divers are diving in this area and at relative shallow depths. The number of decompression sickness cases is however much higher in the southern parts of Mozambique – probably due to the fact that more experienced divers dive in this setting and the dives are much deeper and longer. • Cucumber Diver Dive Profiles: The cucumber divers of Zanzibar are one of the few diving populations that still dive using empirical diving techniques. Other divers using empirical techniques have been described before, but the Zanzibar population and their diving profiles have never been described. This study aims to describe the dive profiles performed by these divers, as well as symptoms experienced as a result of their diving. The results of this study are not available yet. • Evaluation of breathing air quality in South Africa: This study is planned for 2009. Previous incidents internationally have indicated that divers are sometimes provided with air that is not safe or suitable for breathing. Incidents in South Africa seem to be rare, but no one has performed a specific study to determine the safety of the breathing gas. The study will investigate the practices of compressor operators and test the air that is provided. It is envisaged that a number of students from each year group would approach DAN-SA for collaboration in research projects. This provides DAN-SA with an opportunity to suggest research in areas of strategic importance. INTERNATIONAL DAN RESEARCH COLLABORATION During a strategic IDAN Research Retreat in Brussels from 5-9 April 2007, the leading research teams from DAN-A, DAN-E and DAN-SA had the opportunity to define the common research mission and develop a strategic research action plan. The following are the key points that were discussed: • policy and principles for collaboration on IDAN research; • policy and principles for the use of DAN information; • harmonisation and integration of DAN data collection platforms; • optimisation of resource pooling and research funding through strategic partnerships and research project allocation. Specific action items included (a) the merging of PDE/DSL data sets; (b) internationalisation of the Medical Services Call Center (MSCC) – an international, web-based research tool; (c) establishing a biostatistics workgroup; and (d) conducting research on Diving Medical Education and Diving Medical Fitness (safety and risk). Prof Barney De Villiers served as chair at the meeting with Dr Frans Cronjé acting as facilitator. The University of Stellenbosch was also represented by Dr Jack Meintjes and Chris Müller. The event was most successful and represents major progress in international research collaboration. We look forward to the implementation of these projects over the next two years.
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DAN research remains the cutting edge of DAN’s diving safety initiatives; it provides scientific credibility and focus to our activity and ensures that it remains topical and current. We encourage our DAN members to contact us about becoming involved in DAN research. It can be as simple as uploading your dive profiles and a simple questionnaire or as complicated as undertaking a formal research project. Contact DAN today to find out how you can become involved in making recreational diving even safer.
“ We encourage our DAN members to contact us about becoming involved in DAN research. It can be as simple as uploading your dive profiles and a simple questionnaire or as complicated as undertaking a formal research project.” Oct/Nov 09
Sustainable holidays and adventures for divers Where to go, to give back to the marine environment, the community and your conscience
OCEAN BLUE ADVENTURES Ocean Blue Adventures conducts professional conservation orientated whale and dolphin marine eco-tours. In cooperation with the Qolweni Community Development Trust the emphasis of all their operations is placed on Conservation through Community Development, Education and Research. Ocean Blue Adventures’ aim is to give an holistic real marine experience to all guests aimed at raising awareness of Marine Mammal Conservation and the direct need to realistically conserve oceans which include : • Sponsor A Child • Whale, Dolphins and Seals • Pelagic and other Seabirds • Sharks and Fish • Local Geology • Maritime and Local History They are holders of a specialist permit to carefully approach whales, offering guests the opportunity of a really up-close and personal encounter with these majestic animals. To contact them click here
CHUMBE ISLAND, ZANZIBAR The whole of Chumbe Island is a nature reserve. Guests can explore its beauties either under the competent guidance of park rangers or at leisure. Guests can snorkle through the unique shallow water Reef Sanctuary or explore the Forest Reserve and historical monuments. SCUBA diving is available on the nearby reefs. The park is protected and since protection there has been almost no fishing or un-authorised anchoring in the Chumbe Reef Sanctuary. The reef remains in a pristine state (which nowadays is sadly rare in the world). The reef crest, encompassing a spectacular array of hard corals, is shallow (between 1-3m depending on the tide), and so snorklers can see all the wonders of the underwater world normally only accessible to divers. If you swim up to the reef ridge the view opens up a world of breathtaking sights. Shoals of barracuda taking advantage of the abundant prey living on the reef glide by and if you are lucky you may get a chance to see the playful dolphins cruising in and out of the abyss. Each snorkeling excursion provides new discoveries for guests and with each visit
To contact them click here ROCKTAIL BAY LODGE Rocktail Bay Lodge is situated in the northern reaches of the iSimangaliso (formerly Greater St Lucia) Wetland Park in northern KwaZuluNatal, South Africa. This whole area has been declared a World Heritage Site. The lodge is situated a stone’s throw from the warm Indian Ocean and one of the most incredible beaches in South Africa. Built out of the wind within the canopy of evergreen dune forest, Rocktail Bay Lodge offers a very different beach holiday. Accommodation is in 11 treehouse chalets (including a family unit). Each en-suite room has its own private balcony and an additional outdoor shower surrounded by indigenous forest. Rocktail Bay Lodge is owned and managed by Wilderness Safaris. For Wilderness Safaris, the environment is at the heart of their beliefs and values and they care for it in a number of different ways. Wildlife or community-related projects are run at many of their camps. The Wilderness Safaris Wildlife Trust secures funds for these and other projects unrelated to the company. Children in the Wilderness is their hugely successful local children’s programme. Throughout their business they strive to save energy and be as environmentally friendly as possible.
Vamizi Island is a conservation project. It is directed by the Maluane Project and supported by a group of idealists, to make a dream come true and have tourism work for the planet. For divers, these are the kind of conditions that divers mostly dream about. One particular Vamizi site has been named as one of the top ten scuba sites on the planet. A combination of wild underwater landscapes, the bounty of tropical ocean currents and an abundance of marine life makes Vamizi diving beyond world class. To contact them click here
ORCA MARINE CONSERVATION RESEARCH If you’re looking for something special then consider Orca Marine’s volunteer program. Their project covers both land and sea based activities. These range from whale and dolphin watching for data collection; river excursions for water analysis; hiking/beach walks for beach cleanups; tag and release fishing or diving to do fish counts for fish stock monitoring; photo identification research for animal movement studies; planting of indigenous trees/removal of alien species to minimize carbon footprint; doing crafts with preschool children and teaching them about conservation, and most importantly education programs with sea excursions to pass on this important message. Together with WWF, Cape Nature Conservation and Rhodes University their primary objective is to implement a management plan for Plettenburg Bay so that the bay is checked and monitored to ensure that it stays in a pristine condition. To contact them click here
To contact them click here
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VAMIZI ISLAND LODGE, MOZAMBIQUE Located in the Quirimbas archipelago, this is eco-chic. Guests pay a conservation fee to stay at one of the stylish timber villages which, is used to protect the area’s unique marine life, supplement marine research, community outreach and direct conservation initiatives.
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Oct/Nov 09
One shot - right time, right place
O
By Simon Brown
Taken in the Poor Knights marine reserve in New Zealand, this image of a dolphin breaking the waves needed the cooperation of both the subject and the boat skipper. It was late in the day, the sun almost low enough to be masked by the mainland when the pod of dolphins started to bow ride the dive boat. A great subject with easy access – even if it did
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mean me lying on the deck with my buddy holding onto my legs as I stretched over the side. The cetaceans playing with the bow wave seemed more interested in performing on the port side, the very side that was in the shadow of the boat. Hardly ideal for photography, so with a bit of hand waving and gesturing the skipper started to slowly bring the bows round to face the setting sun, and in less than a minute both sides of the bow were evenly
lit. The dolphins continued to dance in front of the boat and one individual came alongside long enough to fire off a half dozen frames before they turned and headed off and vanished. This image is available as a 16” x 20” print. For more information please click here or visit Simon Brown’s website by clicking here.
Oct/Nov 09