BY DeeperBlue.net

A Cape Town correspondent has provided Deeperblue with clarification on the Scuba diving ban in Cape Town. He writes:

According to a statement issued by the department, the areas in which diving will be prohibited include:

within the Bird Island Marine Protected Area;

from Quoin Point to Danger Point, extending from the west bank of the Ratel River to the eastern boundary of Gansbaai Harbour's main breakwater wall, and extending two nautical miles seaward from the high watermark;

around Dyer Island, extending one nautical mile from the high watermark;

from Venus Pool to Olifantsbos on the Cape Peninsula, extending two nautical miles seaward from the high watermark; (this is Paulsberg Restricted Zone: Smitswinkel Point and Venus Pool, and now extending around the point to Oliphants bos, inside the reserve.

around Robben Island, extending one nautical mile from the high watermark.The prohibition appears to be aimed at stopping perlemoen poaching syndicates, who are known to use divers to illegally harvest perlemoen from the seabed.

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