10 



fishermen in False Bay experienced a falling-off in the supply 

 of fish, and it was suggested that the vibration and noise made 

 by trains on the line, which runs practically on the sea shore 

 from Muizenberg to Simon's Town, had the effect of scaring 

 off the fish. It appears at first sight that the contention is 

 hardly justifiable, and, indeed, was received with a good deal 

 of incredubiUty if not ridicule by the public generally. It 

 seems not improbable, however, that there may be some truth 

 in the allegation of the fishermen, with reference at least to 

 one kind of fish : this is the Harder or Mullet, which is one of 

 the most important to fishermen on the stretch of coast line 

 referred to. Its habits are well known to fishermen, and the 

 presence of a shoal of these fish can be detected at a distance 

 of some miles by the man stationed at the look-out, generally 

 some elevated position on the mountain side. The shoal 

 usually travel from the Cape Point side of the Bay northwards, 

 passing Simon's Town, Fish Hoek, Muizenberg, and from there 

 along the north side of the bay by Somerset Strand. When on 

 the move along the shore, it has been observed that the fish 

 are very readily alarmed, and make off to the open sea, in fact, 

 as will be noted later, they can be driven off by the splashing 

 of oars, and it is said that they can even detect the putting 

 out of the trek boat, if incautiously done. It is not surprising, 

 therefore, that, as has been observed by the fishermen, a shoal, 

 for which they are waiting, is driven off by the vibration of a 

 heavy train, only a few hundred yards distance. 



There seems no reason to believe, however, that any permanent 

 injury is done. It is true that it is just along this shore — 

 Simon's Town to Muizenberg — that anglers also state that fish, 

 such as Galjoen, Hottentot and other such species have, of 

 recent years, been much scarcer, but, in judging of the value 

 of this evidence, it is to be remembered that it is this locality 

 that is chiefly visited by anglers, and the same complaint of 

 scarcity of fish is heard from anglers at other localities, where 

 no trains run, as will be seen later on. 



2. It is also stated by fishermen that the firing of heavy guns 

 from forts and warships, particularly at the naval station at 

 Simon's Town, has a bad effect on fishing, but this does not 

 seem to have been substantiated by any very definite evidence, 

 and in any case is on a footing with the alleged damage done 

 by train, in so far as it is a purely local occurrence. The 

 explosion of a shell in the water might be supposed to have the 

 same effect as dynamiting, but this does not seem to have been 

 observed. 



3. The use of dynamite for the capture of fish is an obvious 

 cause of very serious destruction of fish life, and is universally 



