South African divers to pay for marine preservation

Authorities in South Africa have deemed it compulsory for scuba divers to purchase a permit in a bid to raise cash to preserve the country's marine wildlife.

Divers must pay an annual fee of R75 (£5.30) for the permit but tourists can purchase a monthly permit for R45 (£3.18) but many scuba diving enthusiasts are concerned that the levy placed on dive schools will force up the prices paid for equipment and tuition.

Mike Beresford of Underwater Africa told South Africa's Mail and Globe: "Our main concern regarding this matter focuses on… the fact that the department has not shared with us any of their studies that support that scuba diving disturbs the natural habitat.

"Divers and operators are also concerned about the fees and how they will be implemented."

However, Dr Alan Boyd, deputy director responsible for marine protected areas, said that many divers had backed the decision to preserve the long-term future of South African waters.

"We have tried to approach the matter in a reasonable way and a lot of divers have supported us and, with time, we hope that the rest will follow suit," he explained.

South Africa's long coastline is dotted with some of the finest diving sites in the world and is also a haven for whale watching.