Hangberg poacher drowns - Cape Town, South Africa

[DandyDon]

Another Hangberg diver drowns

A popular diver in the Hangberg community, Jonathan Dama, has drowned. His body was found underwater by fellow divers on Sunday, October 11.

The discovery of the body shocked the fishing community because Dama, or Tin Tin as he was affectionately known, was regarded as an excellent swimmer. He once swam from Robben Island to Clifton, according to Sentinel News.

This is the second time, in as many months, that a diver’s dead body has been brought into Hout Bay Harbour. Raymind Samuels (23) was found on August 6, after he had been missing for five days.

In total, three divers from Hangberg have drowned this year.

Dama was a poacher and had no qualms about admitting it. In an interview earlier this year, he explained how poaching has allowed him to keep his head above water for 18 years and how it enabled him to “help so many”.

“We must do what we can do because many people in this community don’t have work and the ocean is the closest thing for them to get their next meal or some money to keep them going,” said Damas.

He explained that most of the community in Hangberg used the ocean as a source of food or income in order to create a better life for themselves and their loved ones, echoing the sentiments of poachers more than 100 kilometres away.

Before his death, Dama expressed his desire to start a swimming school for children and stop poaching.

 

[tridacna]

Free diving in pretty dangerous waters. I dove there on tanks years ago but was terrified of the Great White sharks. Also lots of seals, abalone and lobsters. It’s a fishing community. The poachers sometimes use kids to do their dirty work knowing that the authorities seldom prosecute them.

 

[DandyDon]

seals, abalone and lobsters

I guess the seals attract the GWs and the abalone and lobsters attract the poachers?

 

[tridacna]

I guess the seals attract the GWs and the abalone and lobsters attract the poachers?

Abalone attract the seals who attract those pesky sharks. There’s an island close by with a huge colony of Cape Fur seals. Fantastic diving with two caveats. The seals attract the sharks and the stench of seal poop is overpowering on the island. Those poachers are driven by desperation of poverty. That neighborhood is pretty much destitute.