Proposed Ban on Inflatable boats

As a recreational diving industry, many of us need this mode of transport to earn a living, provide a service and entertain tourists from South Africa and abroad. We would therefore like to oppose this ban.

We do not condone those that poach the very life we go underwater to visit, in fact many of us actively support the underwater environment through Project AWARE (Aquatic World Awareness, Responsibility and Education), please visit this site at www.projectaware.org for further information.

The vast majority of commercial recreational diving enterprises throughout South Africa prohibit their clients from removing anything from the underwater environment.

By imposing this ban, many instructors, divemasters, boat engine mechanics, boat builders, engine manufacturers, skippers etc could be forced out of work. The South African waters are slowly starting to attract divers from around the globe, this ban could affect these intrepid travellers, which in turn could have a knock on effect on hotels, guest houses, restaurants etc.

We would like to see more stringent legislation put into place towards the poachers themselves and not the recreational diving industry. Harsher poaching penalties, rewards for information against poachers could help save the Perlemoen (Abalone).

Not having recreational divers in the water could have a negative impact on the underwater world as attention is only drawn to this unique environment, which we so cherish, by having recreational divers visit it. We do not think that a small minority of people should affect the majority of recreational divers in South Africa and would respectfully request that you reconsider your proposed ban.
Stopping inflatable boats will not curb the poaching; they will resort to other modes of transport, sea kayaks, hard hull boats etc.

Rather than penalizing the recreational diving industry by banning inflatable boats, why don’t you utilize them to do stock counts of the underwater world.