E-tolls can save Bass and its not a scam!

Its a simple equation: no water = no fish; no fishing = no fun. Forget about illegal gill netting, the hook and cook brigade, the loathed catch and kill tournaments or even government’s plan to commercially net our dams for a minute. It’s the post apocalyptic horror thriller that’s headed to a dam near you is what you really need to worry about. The green pea soup slick stretches across the entire surface of the once pristine Bronkhorstspruit Dam; now the toxic goop on top is 2-inches thick in some parts and leaves a mean stain on your boat’s gel coat! Obviously its a sure sign of bass overpopulation according to an infamous fish breeder, definitely not a symptom of a failing ecosystem. Even social media began to echo these sentiments, sort of. “It’s the bass’ fault,” read a Facebook comment on a photo of Bronkies a few weeks ahead of the SABAA Free State divisional tournament. Yet another classic case of blame it on the bass and social media suicide all mashed into one. It didn’t sit well with die-hard bassers who saw the post and the typing gloves immediately came off. What ensued was a full on Facebook war with threats directed to people’s mothers and even their dogs thrown in for good measure. The battle between pro- anti-bass camps raged on for two days, with the riled up bass anglers dedicating themselves to release very single bass they catch, with an emphasis on safe release. As a bystander reading through the comments (roofkyker- style) a few of my favourite quips from the anti-bass fanatics included: “Florida bass are more aggressive than the north American strain, they eat all the time” or this pearl of false wisdom: “All bass under 1,5kg must be removed to save our kurper, they are just feeding machines”. I would love to know where these aggressive Floridas (likely F1 hybrids) occur because I want to catch my new PB there, and as for making a blanket statement of removing all bass under 1,5kg without research into suitable slot limits is just irresponsible. The mindset of these 60 anglers on the thread transformed from a bunch of passive “let’s talk about fishing”- type guys into a group of mobilized revolutionaries, ready to burn the commentator at the stake. But it’s the year 2018 and we don’t do that, instead we speak our minds from behind a screen or smartphone. One positive theme however emerged - anglers have had enough of government’s ill management of our waterways and bureaucratic BS and the time for social media rants is over. Our local tackle industry has made a valiant attempt at addressing these issues with the establishment of SACRAA (South African Consolidated Recreational Angling Association), but the project’s goals have been misaligned often being tied up in litigation surrounding saltwater resources or protecting the Yellowfish of Vanderkloof. So what recourse do anglers really have? Other than removing gill nets ourselves at great personal risk or running up phone bills complaining to the Department of Water Affairs, anglers have even contemplated reverting back to days of the Wild West, where vigilantism reigned supreme- but that’s hardly a feasible solution. Could you imagine being arrested for trespassing, or worse vandalism, after you and a couple of mates shut off the pumps pouring sewage into your local dam - all in the name of bass fishing? As much as it pains me the only route to take is through the legal system, but skip the snotty email to Rand Water, DWAFF or your political party’s ward counsellor, rather support a proven crowd-funded NGO like OUTA (Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse, www.outa.co.za). Initially established to take on SANRAL’s E-Toll system the huge support they have enjoyed might be the answer to saving our bass. The initial outcry regarding E-Tolling saw hundreds of thousands of citizens donating to the cause enabling it to contract in extensive legal counsel, which in turn can and is being utilized to ensure healthy water for all, including our beloved bass Both myself and Editor, Eugene Kruger are already signed up online, the minimum donation is R80.00 per month or the cost of a reasonable bottle of wine, a small price to pay to get help turn our bass’ ecosystems into a healthy one. Catch you on the water!