Scores of worried surfers gathered at Surfer's Corner on Muizenberg Beach on Tuesday to try and find ways to prevent another shark attack at the surf spot and protest against the practice of chumming by shark tour operators.
The protest comes after a great white shark attacked surfer John Paul Andrew, 16, at Muizenberg Beach last Monday.
His right leg had been amputated and he is still on a ventilator but in a stable condition at the Constantiaberg Medi-Clinic. JP was back in surgery on Tuesday for a tracheotomy and for his wounds to be cleaned.
His older sister Natasha Flatwell, who was at the meeting, said: "My main concern is that my brother gets well."
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About 100 surfers gathered at the surf spot. Some carried placards railing against the practice of chumming to attract great white sharks by people who take visitors out on boats.
Gary Shearer of Western Province Surfing said the aim of the meeting was to get direction and work towards a safer environment for everybody in the water.
Shearer said many people had offered help and a company that owned a microlight was willing to fly regularly and check for any sharks.
Other people had suggested that two sonar devices be installed off the beach to pick up on any fish longer than three metres approaching.
Michel Cozien, who has been surfing at Muizenberg since 1965, said chumming should be banned.
"We as stakeholders should appeal to the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism and plead that until it is proved safe to chum, they should stop it from happening. We are the only country where it is allowed."
Gary Kleynhans, of Gary's Surfing School, said surfers should also be informed about when the rivermouth would be open because when it was being dredged, fish which had been breeding in the river swam into the sea, and this attracted sharks.
"If we know that the river is being dredged then the kids will know they should be sharp and stay alert and stay away from the rivermouth and move towards the corner.
"There was a lack of communication and knowledge on everybody's part (when John Paul was attacked). Communication systems should be put in place."
A 1970s music concert will be held at Muizenberg Junior School on May 1 to raise funds to buy equipment for emergencies. Tickets are on sale from Gary's Surfing school at R50.
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This article was originally published on page 8 of Cape Argus on April 14, 2004
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