Australia has no right to kill "South African sharks". That was the message of protesters who gathered in Cape Town yesterday to oppose a controversial Australian shark cull that they say is both illegal and immoral.
"Those are our sharks too," said Ruby-Gay Martin, one of about 100 protesters who waved placards outside the Cape Town International Convention Centre, where Western Australia Premier Colin Barnett was attending the Mining Indaba.
But Barnett, the public face of the Australian cull, stayed indoors.
He was due to deliver a keynote speech at the indaba yesterday morning.
The cull policy, which targets various shark species, including the endangered great white, was initiated late last year following a spate of fatal attacks in 2011. Despite widespread criticism of the policy in Australia, Barnett has refused to back down, claiming the "catch-and-kill" policy was justified.
Now opposition is growing in South Africa - a world leader in shark research and home to a thriving shark cage-diving industry. The killing of great white sharks is prohibited in South African waters.
Anti-cull activists say Australia should not be allowed to make policy decisions that could affect the global ocean environment.
A shark-tagging project has detailed the migratory pattern of great whites, which typically commute between South Africa and Australia. A tagged great white dubbed "Nicole" completed the journey in 99 days.
Despite several fatal shark attacks in South African waters in recent years, South Africa has resisted adopting a policy of targeting "rogue sharks".
"South Africa has an amazing track record in trying to protect our great whites - we are really proud of them as a nation," said Sharon Martin, who organised yesterday's protest.
"It was great to see a whole lot of conservationists, surfers and divers all coming together to support one cause," she said.
Martin said the cull violated international laws. It involves the use of drum lines - giant baited hooks attached to buoys.
Australian white shark researcher Blair Ranford, a member of Western Australians for Shark Conservation, said the great whites targeted in Australia were the ones that migrated to South Africa.
"Our great whites and yours are genetically the same stock," he said by e-mail yesterday.
He said the cull policy involved up to 72 drum lines close to popular beaches. He said the culling went forward even after an independent study found that there was no proof that it would reduce attacks and would probably have an adverse effect on the environment.
"They ignored a letter from over 100 leading marine scientists and researchers stating the same," said Ranford.
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