A VIDEO shared on Facebook recently has caused unnecessary fear and panic among the general public, says WILDOCEANS. The organisation says the video was incorrectly labelled “Young KZN man mauled by shark.”
Ruth Mthembu, Marketing Manager for WILDOCEANS and the Shark Attack Campaign, said it has since been confirmed by officials that the individual was in fact injured by a boat propeller after accidentally being too close to the back of the boat when it was launching.
“It was a boating incident and not a shark attack,” confirms Jace Govender of ASFN Fishing, who was in communication with people on the beach when the incident took place. “Thankfully the propeller didn’t sever any of his vital organs or arteries and he is on the mend.” He also added that people needed to stop giving sharks a bad name.
Mthembu said if a shark attack were to occur in or near any of KZN’s popular beaches, the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board are swiftly called upon and strict protocols are followed. The first step would be to ascertain if the incident took place at one of the shark-net “protected beaches”.
The next step would be to decide on the necessary response (such as a temporary ban on bathing) and then to try and establish the species of shark involved.
ALSO READ: CROW reptile show returns
She said in this case the conclusion was that it was not a shark bite, yet there was no commentary on this video to state as such and it has already caused massive damage to the reputation of sharks in our waters. This incident is an example of how negatively sharks are represented in the media and the dangers of sharing information on social media which is not true.
“The unfortunate reality is that we have to undo years of fear that movies like Jaws has instilled. The Shark Attack campaign has taken the opportunity to educate people about the misconceptions on sharks. Over and above that, the campaign aims to turn that fear into reverence for these often misunderstood and amazing creatures, and to show South Africans that a large number of them are endemic (unique) to our waters, which is something we should be proud of,” added Mthembu.
She said cars kill 1.25 million people annually, aeroplanes kill 283 people per year, while toasters kill 800 people. Sharks killed five people last year, but more than 100 million sharks are killed by people every year.
“Our fear is misguided. Unfortunately we only ever hear about sharks when there is a film about them or a dramatic shark attack – we don’t ever hear about them in a way that sets them up as the victim, or shows how the “hunter” is now the hunted,” said Mthembu.
Visit sharkattackcampaign.co.za to learn more about the sharks and rays found in South Africa’s waters.
See the link to the viral clip: https://sauncut.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/VID-20200713-WA0124.mp4?_=1
Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting
Dear reader,
As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19.
Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).
Do you want to receive news alerts via Telegram? Send us a message (not an sms) with your name and surname to 060 532 5535.
You can also join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
PLEASE NOTE: If you have signed up for our news alerts you need to save the Berea Mail Telegram number as a contact to your phone, otherwise you will not receive our alerts
Here’s where you can download Telegram on Android or Apple.
