The Hermanus Yacht Club: The number one culprit for sewage pollution and artificial breaching lobby.

The Number One culprit for Hermanus Lagoon e coli pollution 

5200cfu/per 100ml Intestinal Enteroccoci

 Water sample taken 19th December 2013

2000% over SA Recreational water guideline

LOOK AT THE LAGOON WATER LEVELS IN THE PICTURES BELOW

*The Yacht Club septic tank is found between the two buildings (center in top picture) and well below 5msl set back line. 

2.0 msl (mean sea level)

                                           2.7 msl  (mean sea level)

Shocking statistics tell a frightening story of endemic e coli pollution in the Hermanus Lagoon (February 2014)

During December 2013 the Overstrand Municipality sampled the Klein River Estuary (as is customary in its bi-monthly water sampling program) in order to determine the level of faecal pollution. Intestinal enterococci (bacteria) is one of the bacterial indicator organisms used to determine faecal pollution. 

The following numbers are the results of the water samples collected for Intestinal Enteroccocci at the following sample points in the Klein River Estuary in December 2013;

Hermanus Yacht Club:     5200 cfu/per 100ml

Scout Camp:                   1940 cfu/per 100ml

Prawn Flats:                     3100 cfu/per 100ml

The SA Water Guideline for Recreational water (2009) states a level in excess of 185 cfu/per 100ml as poor (unacceptable) with a gastro-intestinal (GI) health risk index of 8.5% 
Some of the highest readings from the Hermanus Estuary (during this specific period of the year at these sites) represent over 1000 times higher risk factors compared to the official health hazard levels. 

 So why have none of these recordings been published and that a concerted NO SWIMMING program been put in place with signs and information, warning the public of the high health risks at these major tourist venues  (Stanford's Kings Street Jetty recorded 1100 cfu/per 100ml over same period)

The deathly silence and inactivity from the Counsel is nothing short of gross irresponsibility and shows a cynical disregard for the environment let alone the public at large.

Interesting clues to the reasons for the historic artificial breaching of the Klein River Estuary

Drag net activity in the shallows of lagoon 1938 aerial survey

Coastal populations in the Cape have depended entirely on marine (and esturine) harvesting of fish and shell fish. It is here that one looks for the clues as to how, why and when the Klein River Estuary was artificially breached by local inhabitants looking to exploit the lagoon and the inter tidal exchange of the water bodies that constituted a major nursery for fish populations.  

Historic pictures of the old fishing harbor of Hermanus

Pictures below show the last signs of the once abundant marine biodiversity at Hermanus. After the plundering of natural resources for two Centuries (lasting into the early 20th Century) saw, not only the local extinction of the larger mammals (Elephant, Rhino, Hippo, Buffalo) but the total extinction of the Blou Bok and Quagga from the Cape. The depletion of fish stocks also coincided with the first signs of estuarine ecosystem decay, set in motion by the artificial breaching of the Bot and Klein River Estuaries by traditional seine net fisherman and the the advent of extensive herding of sheep and cattle and agricultural development in the catchment, causing Increasing siltation and nitrate run off into the estuary.

Sport fishing catch predominately Red Steenbras endemic to Cape/Natal. Known to enter deep estuaries. 

Huge unsustainable catch of predominantly juvenile Kabelou (Kob) with no refrigeration meant large amount of spoilt catches.

Earliest known picture of the Old Harbor circa 1873

'THE RIVER IS WITHIN US, THE SEA IS ALL ABOUT US'.

Writer RW Johnson lost his left leg to necrotising fasciitis - caused by a flesh-eating bacterium that invades and poisons the body - after cutting his foot on a rock in the lagoon at the Mpenjathi Nature Reserve.

Johnson has recounted his battle with necrotising fasciitis.

http://www.bdlive.co.za/articles/2009/07/14/clinging-to-rocky-crags-on-the-shore-of-life-and-death

 

The lagoon at the Mpenjathi Nature Reserve

Signage pollution destroys Hermanus heritage

LET PICTURES TELL THE STORY

Hermanus Yacht Club in the s . . . Sewage

END OF INTERNATIONAL REGATTAS

You wont see events like this again on the Hermanus Lagoon

Neither will you see signs like this warning about sewage (e coli ) pollution