Cape Town - South African National Parks (SANParks) rangers threatened to arrest or fine dog walkers and horse riders at Noordhoek Beach at the weekend for not having permits for the beach.
Noordhoek beach falls under the Table Mountain National Park (TMNP).
Noordhoek resident Rob Glenister, who owns a SANParks Wild Card that allows him access to most of South Africa’s premier conservation areas, told the Cape Argus several dog walkers and horse riders were turned away from the beach on Sunday.
“The warders told me I would get a fine or be arrested if I tried to enter the beach without the permit required for walking dogs,” said Glenister.
“I’ve lived in the area for 20 years and I pay taxes and rates. Why do I suddenly have to get an additional permit to walk my dogs at the beach?” he asked.
For R345 a year, Glenister’s Wild Card buys him access to SANParks’ national parks. To walk his dog, Glenister needs an additional Level 1 Activity Card which costs R175. This would give him permission to walk two dogs per trip on the beach.
“I walk my dogs regularly and I’ve only seen a warder once venture beyond the ablution blocks… they haven’t made any major positive difference to the beach. This is a way of making money for them (SANparks),” said Glenister.
“This only exists in the Western Cape and they enforce these rules only when it suits them.”
SANParks regional spokeswoman Merle Collins said the Environmental Management Plan for dog walking, horse riding and other sports activities such as hang gliding and paragliding had been in place since 2008.
“We only started enforcing it in April this year. Over the months we have warned people, through media campaigns and we have also held meetings with dog walking groups about the laws… it wasn’t an over-night process,” she said.
“Table Mountain is one of a few national parks in the country where you are permitted to walk a dog; you can’t do this in other parts of the country.”
“The number of dog walkers has increased. This is a way of minimising the impact on the environment and to maintain control,” said Collins.
She warned that people faced a minimum fine of R500 if caught without a permit.
An Activity Card membership had up to five levels. A Level 1 permitted a dog walker two dogs per trip to the beach and a Level 3 included horse riding, mountain biking and line fishing, she explained.
The Cape Argus spoke to several dog walkers and horse riders at Noordhoek Beach. Most of them already owned Wild and Activity Cards. While some thought the Activity Card was a good buy as it allowed them to do several sporting activities others felt that the card was expensive.
A stable owner, who did not wish to be named, said she was planning to get an Activity Card before the end of the month.
“For now I sneak on to the beach when there is no one to stop me. I know the law has been around for some years but no one took it seriously until now,” said the stable owner, who has lived in the area for 28 years.
“I understand the reasons behind it. A lot more people have horses and dogs now and it’s a way to regulate access to the beach and to maintain the dunes.”
Cape Argus