MOSSEL BAY NEWS - White Shark Africa, well known shark cage operators in Mossel Bay, are relieved that they too can carry on with business as usual despite the near catastrophic non-issuing of their permit by the Department of Environmental Affairs, Forestry and Fisheries.

This follows six adverse court rulings relating to ecotourism licences made in the past 18 months. It is reported that the legal fees in rectifying these issues, are costing taxpayers a minimum of R3 million.

White Shark Africa obtained an interdict in July 2018 against the former minister of Environmental Affairs, Forestry and Fisheries, Edna Molewa, to keep the minister from refusing them their 10-year white shark cage diving permit.

The owner of White Shark Africa, Christo Kruger, said that the entire process in obtaining a permit and having it issued - they were advised by their legal representatives - was questionable.

Advocate Shaheen Moola from Feike, an independent advisory firm that specialises in the provision of strategic and affordable professional services in the legal, natural resources, fisheries, environmental and fish farming sectors, acted in all the cases. Moola previously served as a special legal adviser to the fisheries ministry.

Moola commented that the ruling provided important context regarding the shocking "unlawfulness and illegality of the process followed that could have destroyed so many people's lives and so many businesses".

Kruger said upon enquiry that the legal cost had been staggering, even though the department had been ordered to pay costs. He concluded that despite the cost of the legal process, the outcome was more than worth it.

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