Club Med’s first SA resort lands in the middle of a shark net battle
· The South African
The grand opening of Club Med Tinley Manor was meant to be a $120 million celebration of South African tourism. Instead, the French giant has landed in the centre of a mounting environmental battle.
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Just months before the resort welcomes its first guests to the shores north of Durban, a bitter divide has opened between marine scientists and local authorities.
At the heart of the conflict is a proposal to install traditional shark nets and drumlines, a move conservationists warn will result in an ecological bloodbath.
A lethal legacy under fire
While these measures are intended to prevent fatal encounters with tiger, bull, and great white sharks, the cost to the marine ecosystem is staggering, Bloomberg reports. Scientists argue that these nets are not true barriers; they are lethal traps that entangle a wide array of marine life.
Last year alone, similar installations across the province claimed the lives of 416 sharks, along with scores of dolphins, rays, and endangered turtles.
Experts argue that this 1950s-era technology is an outdated solution for a resort aiming for international prestige.
Club Med budget vs. biodiversity
The debate has exposed a frustrating gap between local budget constraints and modern safety alternatives. Researchers have proposed using lifeguard-operated drones, a method proven successful in Australia, to monitor both shark activity and rip currents without harming sea life.
However, these suggestions were reportedly dismissed in favour of nets because they are “cheap.” Enrico Gennari, director of the Oceans Research Institute, warns that nets offer a false sense of security. He notes they are explicitly “designed to be dangerous,” decimating local biodiversity while failing to provide a 100% safety guarantee.
With 1 000 additional beachgoers expected daily once the resort opens in July, the KwaDukuza Municipality faces a high-stakes decision.
Developers maintain that, as the beach is a public space, the final responsibility for safety lies with the local government.