Coast KZN

The old saying ‘leave only your footprints behind’ is not what has been playing out on most South Coast beaches. Discarded fishing line, hooks and rubbish are a common sight at most popular fishing spots.

Casey van Dijk said an afternoon walk in Shelly Beach with her dog, Max ended horribly this week, when the six-year-old Weimaraner swallowed a sardine and hook which lodged in its throat. Max underwent surgery yesterday (Wednesday) to have the hook removed. Casey urged fishermen to dispose of tackle safely.

“I’ve seen anglers throw line behind them, pack up and walk away. Please be aware of what you are doing. Please be humane, My dog is in terrible pain,” she said.

Neo Saraiva of Extreme Fishing Africa said fishing brought so much good to people’s lives but in return, nature had to be respected.

“Please just pick everything up before you leave and dispose of it correctly. Before going home and enjoying the fish you caught, take a walk along the rocks and see if anyone else left anything behind and chuck it away safely if you can. Love fishing, but fish in a responsible way.”

Photographer Sean van Tonder also took to Facebook this week to express his frustration.

“Thanks for leaving all your litter on the beach. It is really good for the environment and the ecosystem. Let’s not forget, it is a great example to our youth of how we should act,” read the pointed post.

Speaking to the Herald, Sean said he made a point of cleaning up at Sea Park beach at least once a week.

“I pick up rubbish but I am not the only one – I know of a few people who do the same. It just frustrates me that despite all the reports about pollution/plastic on our beaches/ocean, people still blatantly leave their litter on the beach.”

Sean said it seemed some believed the next generation should inherit a rubbish dump as people were not taking care of the environment.

“Despite our best efforts, some of the rubbish still ends up in the ocean. I often pick up plastic bags while surfing. It’s really sad.”

Unfortunately all fishermen tended to be tarred with the same brush, but Sean pointed out that not all anglers were to blame. “The local fishermen do usually clean up. It is normally visitors who think it’s okay to leave their rubbish on the beach.”

On Monday this week the Herald visited The Block near the Mzimkhulu River in Port Shepstone. Disappointingly, rubbish – including fishing line and bait boxes – was strewn everywhere. Kyle Solomon (13) and his brother, Riley (10) from Tweni were appalled at the mess. “It’s very sad to see. People need to more responsible with their rubbish,” said Kyle.

Kyle Solomon (left) and his brother Riley are shocked at the amount of rubbish left at The Block in Port Shepstone.

Their mother, Julie said she spent most of her beach walks between Tweni and Southport picking up trash.

Billions of tonnes of plastic makes its way into the ocean each year. Of all ocean waste, plastics are responsible for more than 80 percent of the negative effects on animals, according to the waste_UPRISING Facebook page.  The WILDTRUST, a leading environmental non-profit organisation, is behind this page having recognised the need to have legitimate, myth-busting and interesting waste information in one place, encouraging everyone to change the way they think about waste.

Because plastic takes so long to break down, every piece of plastic debris could be responsible for countless casualties during its lifespan. Once swallowed by an animal, the plastic will be re-released into the environment after the animal dies and its body decomposes. The cycle continues, with the same piece of plastic causing harm to animal after animal, possibly for hundreds of years.