Problems at Garden Route National Park

Information and Discussion on Management Issues in National Parks (except Kruger)
Post Reply
User avatar
Richprins
Committee Member
Posts: 75834
Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 3:52 pm
Location: NELSPRUIT
Contact:

Problems at Garden Route National Park

Post by Richprins »

Feb. 09.01.2012
Richprins wrote:A friend reports the following:

"Honorary Rangers are currently active in the Storms River Camp, doing inventory lists of each accommodation unit, something which has never being done. :shock:

There are signs of decay and overcommercialisation here too, and Tsitsikamma ran at a loss for the first time last year...it and Kruger always used to be the two profit-making Parks in the Sanparks stable."


User avatar
Lisbeth
Site Admin
Posts: 67237
Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 12:31 pm
Country: Switzerland
Location: Lugano
Contact:

Re: Problems at Garden Route National Park

Post by Lisbeth »

Penga Ndlovu wrote:Eish.
Seems like, what Sanparks called, our doom scenario is starting to come true then.

Watch out Kruger or you will be next in like when you carry on like this.
iNdlovu wrote:Maybe it's time that the honorary rangers stepped in and got some home truths through to Mabunda and his buddies.
Richprins wrote:Ja, I'm just trying to determine if GRNP is in the red because Tsitsikamma is combined with Knysna and what not...let's see.
Geza wrote:
iNdlovu wrote:Maybe it's time that the honorary rangers stepped in and got some home truths through to Mabunda and his buddies.
"None so blind...." would be an old cliche that fits perfectly in this case.

I doubt the good doctor would even want to know and if he did, would he do anything to stop the madness? I have my reservations.

I still cannot fathom why they cannot just fix the existing guest houses and maintain the existing infrastructure. And I think Dr Mabunda believes that the hotels will be the magical silver bullet to generate massive income for SANPARKS. If it did, it would come at too high a price, but I think ultimately, it will be a massive flop. A huge waste of tax payers money and they simply might not even be around to be held accountable. O/ O/

Then again, this is speculation on my part. Just voicing my concerns and questions I have over the future of KNP, this country and of mankind in general.
Lisbeth wrote:Some of the accomodations in Storms River Mouth were in dire need of a renovation last january (2010). Some can still be saved if they start right away. The ones against the hill on the "wrong" side of the road, were soaked with the humidity and stinking. The bathroom was horrible. Luckily we only had to stay for one night, the next day we moved to a seaside one, which was all right....more or less.
Geza wrote:
Lisbeth wrote:Some of the accomodations in Storms River Mouth were in dire need of a renovation last january (2010). Some can still be saved if they start right away. The ones against the hill on the "wrong" side of the road, were soaked with the humidity and stinking. The bathroom was horrible. Luckily we only had to stay for one night, the next day we moved to a seaside one, which was all right.
Hunny and I were actually just chatting the other night aboiut gong down to the Cape and staying over there. Given this information, I have changed my mind.

I wish the CEO of SANPARKS would pull his fingher and concentrate on maintaining the existing infrastructure of what he has, instead of his daft ideas of buiding hotels in Kruger. It seems he has no idea of running the show and I re-iterate my concern over this issue.
Lisbeth wrote:BH, the honeymoon cottages are quite new and for sure nice and have a great position. It is a lovely place, which you should not miss, just choose the right cabin :wink: .....and if they have not changed the manager of the restaurant, do not go there :evil: They changed in Addo, so maybe in SRM too.
Geza wrote:
dodi wrote:Bunny Hugger dont be put off - its still all very beautiful and great birdlife - just pretend you are camping and you will enjoy it
I recall a topic a while back in another world which was all about one's preference for accommodation.

Basically, my stance is simple. I prefer camping. I know my sheets are clean, I know who slept on them, and I know my camp bed has no bugs, lice or other things that creepeth in the night. My tent smells good, it's clean and servicable. (well it was very much so until it got affirmatively shopped.)

So yes, we were talking of camping there. The thing is now this: A recent trip to Pilanesberg gave me an opportunity to compare the costs of camping in a SANPARKS reserve, or a non SANPARKS reserve. The concusion is that SANPARKS are not a cheap holiday. Their rates are high by comparison, as opposed to in years gone by when they were cheap. (Back in those days, it was clean (immaculately so) and everything worked, including the staff.) More recently though, SANPARKS and service levels have plummeted. Infrastructures are not being maintained, service is almost non existent and dispensed largely by someone who just has a job. (There are a few who love their work and it makes a huge difference to service levels.

So now I'm thinking, I'll go down that way in any event. I'll merely choose to camp somewhere else and boycott SANPARKS whenever I can. The birdlife will not be limited to being in the reserve and I somehow doubt they will have anything spectacular that is likely to attract me. So anytime at all that I can avoid SANPARKS, I'll do just that.

If we all did that, maybe the CEO would get the message. Only reason I can think of right now to go anywhere near SANPARKS reserves right now is this:

http://img593.imageshack.us/img593/7485 ... ger.th.jpg


Klipspringer
Global Moderator
Posts: 5862
Joined: Sat Sep 14, 2013 12:34 pm
Country: Germany
Contact:

Re: Problems at Garden Route National Park

Post by Klipspringer »

https://www.dispatchlive.co.za/news/202 ... gill-nets/

Image

SANParks burns 3km of poachers’ gill nets
By Herald reporter - 31 August 2020

More than 3km of poachers’ gill nets which have been threatening the local wildlife population of estuaries in the Wilderness area for years, have been removed and burnt by SANParks.

SANParks spokesperson Nandi Mgwadlamba said on Friday the nets were seized by rangers in the Touw and Swartvlei estuaries, which fell within the Garden Route National Park.

“The interception and removal of gill nets from these estuaries is a high priority for SANParks Wilderness-based rangers.

“Gill nets are not only illegal but can be a highly destructive and indiscriminate form of fishing that threatens local fish populations and their sustainable use.

“A whopping 3,363m of gill nets were removed from the Touw and Swartvlei over the past 36 months and burnt in a recent exercise.”

The gill nets generally consisted of netting material from vegetable pockets that have been collected and sewn together, she said.

“At risk are fish, animals like terrapins and otters, birds like cormorants and greater crested grebes and also water plants.

“All these species contribute to the life of the Touw and the Swartvlei which are both in the top 10 mega-biodiverse estuaries in South Africa.”

Mgwadlamba said gill nets were sometimes deployed by scientists to monitor fish communities.

But careful steps were taken to set them only at certain times which were judged to be the least intrusive and the nets were monitored continuously and only left in the water a limited amount of time.

In this way fish deaths were minimised.

The poachers on the other hand typically set their nets at night to maximise their catches and left them unmonitored for long periods of time, she said.

“The mesh size is generally small which means many juvenile fish are caught.”

Because they trapped large volumes of fish, the poachers’ gill nets threatened recreational and subsistence anglers, and catch rates for these sectors in areas where gill nets were set and not removed was significantly reduced, she said.

Bits of net and other debris including polystyrene and plastic bottles used to float the nets also accumulated and caused a problem for wildlife.

Mgwadlamba said the poachers used stolen or borrowed canoes to set their nets.

“They paddle to a concealed place and then after they’ve set their nets the canoes are concealed in the reed beds.”

SANParks was liaising with local vegetable suppliers and creating greater awareness around the problems associated with illegal gill netting, she said.

“This approach has been beneficial with suppliers being very co-operative and more careful with discarding packaging material when their deliveries of fruit and vegetables arrive.

“Unfortunately, some of this material still slips through into the wrong hands.”

SANParks had also sought to limit the boats available to the poachers.

Wilderness and Sedgefield residents had been discouraged from keeping their canoes or other boats on the banks of the estuaries.

Boat owners had further been encouraged to register their craft with SANParks to help track down the owners of stolen and abandoned craft, she said.

“We appeal to our local communities to work with rangers to report any suspicious activity or signs of netting to SANParks on 044-877-1197.”

HeraldLIVE


User avatar
Lisbeth
Site Admin
Posts: 67237
Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 12:31 pm
Country: Switzerland
Location: Lugano
Contact:

Re: Problems at Garden Route National Park

Post by Lisbeth »

.....have been threatening the local wildlife population of estuaries in the Wilderness area for years...... removal of gill nets from these estuaries is a high priority for SANParks Wilderness-based rangers......
Why have they not done it before and more often, if it is so important? :-?


"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." Nelson Mandela
The desire for equality must never exceed the demands of knowledge
User avatar
Richprins
Committee Member
Posts: 75834
Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 3:52 pm
Location: NELSPRUIT
Contact:

Re: Problems at Garden Route National Park

Post by Richprins »

\O

Good they burn them...who knows where they will end up if stored!


Please check Needs Attention pre-booking: https://africawild-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=322&t=596
User avatar
Lisbeth
Site Admin
Posts: 67237
Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 12:31 pm
Country: Switzerland
Location: Lugano
Contact:

Re: Problems at Garden Route National Park

Post by Lisbeth »

That's for sure!


"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." Nelson Mandela
The desire for equality must never exceed the demands of knowledge
Post Reply

Return to “General Management Issues - Other National Parks”