THE owner of a prominent Knysna restaurant has launched a scathing attack on the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) following the removal of 21 seahorses at his facility, saying another tourist attraction could “bite the dust”.
The owner of 34 Degrees South restaurant, Charles van Tonder, has charged officials of bureaucratic arrogance akin to the old South Africa, saying the decision to remove the seahorses from his business was done without consultation. He has initiated several processes to get them back.
They were removed this week after Van Tonder was refused permission to keep the rare animals. About 200 000 people visit the restaurant each year, Van Tonder said.
The department's acting chief director of fisheries research and development, Justice Matshili, had written to Van Tonder informing him of the numerous complaints regarding the condition the animals were housed in.
According to Matshili, there was no adequate reason why Van Tonder’s restaurant be treated differently from the many others in the region. In the letter, he said Knysna seahorses were a protected species.
“Please be advised that arrangements have been made for the local DAFF compliance office in Knysna to collect the animals currently housed at your premises," read the letter.
The species have since been under the care of SANParks.
Van Tonder said they were aware of the supposed “complaints”about the dirty tanks, specifically referring to the brownness in the primary floor filter.
He said visits by SANParks officials to their facility confirmed it was the natural colouration caused by the good cleaning algae/micro-organisms for the "positive upkeep" of the tank.