Pollution!

[fish]

I went to Sandvlei this past weekend with Pierre and Mike. From previous reports and the electricity cuts in the beginning of the year which lead to sewage spills I expected some pollution.

What I saw saddened me, it was much worse, plastic bags, bottles, just rubbish everywhere, fringing the margins of Sandvlei. I hooked probably 10 plastic bags, even a shirt, expected a human limb to follow.

This is a disgrace to the human population. The canal had that typical greenish brown sewage colour. Any fish (even barbel/catfish) don't deserve to live like this. Reports on the Vaal river it isn/t much better, I believe many other waterways also suffer.

Someone has to take responsibility for the current state of pollution, I cringe thinking what it will be like, not in 50 years time but in 10 years.

More people need more water, more housing etc. Inevitably lots of rubbish on roads ends up in waterways already, which are interlinked. This doesn't even deal with more people generating more sewage.

What can we do collectively as fly fishers who treasure beautiful clean eco systems with strong healthy fish?

[croozer]

Glad you've brought this up !

As mentioned earlier I passed the Eerste on Sunday and was very disturbed by what I saw ! Perhaps cleaning a little of what we can when on a beat of river or whatever may not make the biggest difference in the world but it's a start ?!

Another thing that bugged me was the amount of cancer stick butts at Jonkershoek ! Hell even floating around in the ponds ! Surely fish swallow these things ?! Ryan am sure you could tell us more !

No solution really I guess....

[Herman Jooste]

Guys, the pollution problem is country wide! There is a very interesting article in the Nov issue of Stywe Lyne ( yup I also read papgooier mags ). The eco care trust have a firm of attorneys who have an eco specialist and are now "gunning" for the culprits via lawsuits. Dirk Human from Bothaville is doing stirling work ( virtually on his own ) concerning the sewerage inflows into the Vals river. These people need our support in whatever form we can give it.
I feel the it's time we fishermen put up or shut up!!! Constitutionally (sp) the state has to care for the environment, LETS HOLD THEM TO IT

[Pierre]

I think the way forward is to take it venue by venue, have clean ups etc. See how we can better the enviroment and pull goverment into it.

[cptfly]

yes, the sandvlei/marina da gama canal is full of plastic polution. I had several plastic bag hookups with the odd clothing piece. Just have a look at the net at the bottom of the canal its full of waste

[KevinC]

I think the way forward is to take it venue by venue, have clean ups etc. See how we can better the enviroment and pull goverment into it.

Pierre- I agree with you re taking it venue by venue- the problem however is getting government involved. Without sounding negative (which I am about to do ), you are not going to get the buggers involved before it's too late. I'm afraid that alot of South Africans seem to have an inbred disrespect for our environment and that is not going to change overnight. I believe that we are on our own here, with Cape Nature and the like our only real allies (with the limited resources that they have to hand).

What amazes me about Marina Da Gama/ Sandvlei is the fact that the residents do not seem to care. As a resident, I would be lobbying to have something done about the patent problem there- and they have a very real and relevant interest in seeing that it is sorted out. Why dont we ever read about this in the local papers etc? They have a large unified voice there, yet seem to remain quiet regarding the subject. It would disgust me to stay on Sandvlei at the moment.

[fish]

Hi Guys,

Some people swimming in the Strand recently were also affected and developed a skin rash. A broken sewerage pipe the culprit again.

We should start working to wards a solution. These places are our heritage and should be passed on to future generations, not to humans only but also all the organisms which form part of these Eco systems.

Kevin, I agree, the collective voice of all the local residents backed up by fly fishers and all other users (rowing, wind surfing, fishers etc.) of these places, should carry some weight.

We need to formulate a plan and tackle it venue by venue. I'll find out who the contact person is at Sandvlei, will report back.

Need your input guys, where-ever you are on this planet.

[Chris Shelton]

Yeah, it is a big problem and one that I can't see going away in a hurry. The effects of overcrowding and general city impact on our sensitive water resources, with no single goverment department putting in any measures to prevent the carnage. It is a flipping disgrace!
What bothers me even more is the stuff that we cannot see that is landing up in these waters. A recent trip to the upper Olifants river left me in shock when I discovered a very murky looking side stream feeding the Olifants. On the banks of the side stream about 200 metres from the junction is a cluster of houses. They are using the stream to wash their clothes in. I reported the matter to Dean Impson at Cape Nature Conservation and he is very concerned, but they are also very understaffed and he will have to find time to go check it out personally. In the meantime, the whole Olifants is slowly being poisoned!!!

As far as Sandvlei is concerned, perhaps we need to speak to someone in the City of Cape Town council. The thing is, who?

[Rendier]

How about Mayor Zille?

[Herman Jooste]

As far as Sandvlei is concerned, perhaps we need to speak to someone in the City of Cape Town council. The thing is, who?

Guys, how about starting with the dep't of Tourism ? They are pushing big time towards 2010 and claim to be the flavour of the month. Send Kortbroek vanSchalkwyk e-mail after e-mail pointing out that the combined effects of the pollution can no longer be tolerated and that copies of the e-mails will have to be forwarded to the World Heritage Foundation, Greenpeace, etc.
We have a new World Heritage Site in the Vredefort Dome but there is a sewer ( the Vaal River ) running right through the middle of it!
If memory seves correct is the Cape Peninsula also not a World Heritage Site?