Maritime Safety Advisory press communique update |03 September 2011

The Praslin Development Fund with the assistance of local companies involved in the fabrication and reparation of fishing nets have been working long hours in preparing two temporary exclusion nets that will soon be installed at Anse Lazio. 

Unfortunately their work has been delayed by the rainy weather that we have experienced over the last five days.  It is now foreseen that the first exclusion net will be installed on Monday if weather permits.  In the meantime we are waiting for quotations from South Africa for us to import exclusion nets designed according to international specifications and standards for installation on a longer term basis. 

The laying of drumlines and longlines by Seychelles Fishing Authority and some fishermen has continued.  This is aimed at controlling the entry of large and dangerous sharks close to shore.  Surveillance using both underwater cameras and personnel of Seychelles National Park Authority has yielded no confirmed sighting of large sharks in the area. 

The police, the tourism police and Seychelles National Park Authority personnel have been enforcing the ban on swimming and snorkelling in the declared areas.

The South African experts have contacted the organisation which will conduct the DNA research and plans are underway to send the tooth fragment for DNA profiling.  The same applies to the jaw of the tiger shark that was caught off Praslin, which will undergo more detailed studies.

Further discussions have taken place regarding the strengthening of a collaborative work and research programmes on sharks between the Seychelles authorities and the Kwazulu Natal Shark Board.  A letter has been sent to the Kwazulu Natal Shark Board to that effect and they have already indicated their willingness to work with the Seychelles authorities.  During the coming weeks the programme will be elaborated and finalised.

The ban on swimming in Anse Lazio, Grand Anse Kerlan, Petite Anse Kerlan, Anse Georgette, Curieuse and St Pierre is still in force.  In other areas swimmers and divers are being asked to take all necessary precautions.  Once the exclusion nets are in placed at Anse Lazio new announcements will be made.

In the meantime anyone who catches a shark are being asked to report to Rodney Quatre, the Research manager of the National Parks Authority who is collecting data on sharks.  His phone number is 2726104.