Geese injured by fishing gut and hooks leads one to conclude that anglers at Florida Lake are the guilty party, but, said the chairperson of the Roodepoort Angling Club, this is not the truth.
Chairperson Wayne Goosen bemoaned the fact that over the years the club’s members have often been accused of leaving their used tackle behind when they leave, and that this injures the geese. “We have strict rules our members have to abide by. Currently, only members are allowed to angle at the lake and we have the water rights,” said Goosen. “The problem comes in with non-members who angle there ‘illegally’. There are also vagrants and homeless men who try their hand at angling in order to get something to eat.”
“We chase them away, but more often than not they return. According to the by-laws, they can be fined by the Metro Police. We also have marshalls who patrol to try and curb the problem. Occasionally we allow the public to angle on a Sunday, but again, only under the watchful eyes of our strict marshalls,” said Goosen.
“There is also a misconception that you can fish at the lake with a provincial permit, but this is not the case at Florida Lake. We are currently in talks with City Parks to arrange to issue permits for day-anglers, but this has not been finalised,” he concluded.
Anyone who would like to angle at Florida Lake can join the club at a fee of R750 a year.
Read more about the rescue attempt here
Goose rescue attempt on its way
Update: Day two of rescue attempt still unsuccessful
