SOUTHERN CAPE NEWS - Algoa FM has joined a campaign to stop the creation of a massive fish farm in Algoa Bay on the coastline of Port Elizabeth.
The national Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, along with the Department of Environmental Affairs, have approved the creation and operation of the Algoa Bay Sea Based Aquaculture Development Zone (ADZ), more commonly referred to as the Port Elizabeth (PE) fish farms.
This has become a major concern for residents of PE, and they have appealed to all South Africans, but especially their neighbours in the Southern Cape, to help them make a stand.
The ADZ in Algoa Bay 1 is 665ha of ocean space just 2km off the shore of Hobie Beach, Port Elizabeth, from about Shark Rock Pier to Beacon Point.
The fish farm will be a large floating network of fish nets of about 20-30m in diameter and 15-20m deep.
Year one (2015) will see 11 farms built with a surface footprint of 2,5ha and sea floor footprint of 25-30ha (that's 300 000sq m of fish nets). The nets will hold about 80-90t of fish per net and produce 1 000t of fish a year.
By 2019, there will be nine commercially viable fish farms along the beachfront
(27 000t of fish, 315 cages, a surface footprint of 22,5ha, and a sea floor footprint of 665ha).
Here are some of the effects the fish farm will have on Port Elizabeth:
- Negative impact on specialist tourism and recreational activities;
- Attraction of large sharks to main swimming beaches;
- Pollution of water due to the large quantities of fish excrement, leftover food, chemicals and antifoulants;
- Disease and parasites passed to wild fish stock;
- Cross breeding and genetic contamination between wild fish stock and escaped fish from fish farms;
- Destruction of reefs
Say no
The communities of PE, the Eastern and Southern Cape, are encouraged to stand together to stop the development of the fish farm by signing a petition.
Add your voice by signing the petition at www.stoppefishfarm.co.za. The website also has other interesting information, links and videos.
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