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The Nets Must Come Down

Since the Egyptian popular uprising that commenced on the 25th of January a great deal has been achieved - more than anyone ever expected or thought possible: the Egyptian people have risen and removed the figureheads of corruption, tyranny and oppression; toppling a 30 year-old regime that many believed had become invincible. In order to generate a genuine change, the removal of the figureheads is not sufficient. The putrid system that they established, that prioritized the immediate gain of the few at the expense of the collective benefit of the nation must be toppled in all sectors. In the Red Sea we have suffered from these unsustainable haphazard policies for decades, the Red Sea community was successful in resisting many crony proposals and policies, but we still have a long way to go. At the end of 2010, in Southern Sinai, after the tragic shark attack incidents, shark nets were placed along Mr. Hussein Salem’s (a personal friend of Mubarak) hotels’ beaches, contrary to all competent scientific recommendations made by the panel of experts on the ground. This step was absurd, scientifically void, short-sighted and irrational; a hysterical reaction attempting to increase the benefit one man’s short-term interest at a devastating environmental, economic and social cost. Mr. Salem’s interests superseded all administrative procedures and expert opinions due to his personal friendship with Mubarak. Meanwhile the responsible government officials happily acquiesced to his whims, fabricating void arguments in expression of their years marinating in the cesspool of corruption and nepotism. HEPCA has been clear about its stance towards these environmentally disastrous concoctions since they have a direct and devastating impact on the local marine ecosystem. An exclusion net will stop any creatures passing through and will halt the movement of grazers and predators (which are essential to reef ecosystems) in and out of the netted area. Additionally, with south wind conditions coming to South Sinai, the nets will most likely become a tangled mess of nylon, steel and marine life adorning the reef. A preliminary report by almost all scientists invited to advise authorities in the aftermath of the attacks (Marie Levine, Ralph Collier, Mustafa Fouda, Mohamed Salem, Leonard Compagno and Erich Ritter) discouraged the use of nets; describing them as expensive and high maintenance, as well as warning that they could encourage sharks to be present in the area. Those arguing for the installation of these nets often cite the examples of the nets installed in South Africa and Australia; while vehement campaigns for the removal of these nets, in both locations, are surging as even if they are meant to trap sharks, being totally unselective they inevitably end up trapping also other species of a similar size. In Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa, according to the most conservative estimates, a total of 23.4 km of nets capture an average of 591 sharks annually (other estimates surpass 1,200) of which 521 are killed by these “safety nets” that also average an annual catch of 43 dolphins and 60 turtles. The Australian example doesn’t differ much in terms of unwanted catches: only 2.6% of the animals trapped in the nets are classified as potentially dangerous to humans. These nets do not represent a solution but an actual ecological threat and an improper initiative: nets are not barriers between swimmers and sharks, sharks can swim over, under and around them; 40% of sharks captured in these nets are trapped on the inside of the net! The net must come down! HEPCA will continue to fight to bring down this net and all that it stands for. We will together with the Protectorates of South Sinai, the oldest protectorate administration in the country that has a long history in protecting the irreplaceable natural resources in the region. These nets are a heinous crime that must be brought down with the corrupt regime. We now have the opportunity to cleanse our community and country from the vile remnants of the regime that has annihilated so many of our natural resources and obliterated the principals of sustainability and social justice. We must not stop until we have cleansed the community from the stench of corruption that has so deeply infiltrated all aspects of our life. The system must come down! The net must come down!