Sharks roam free in Durban’s surf as union strikes

The gear used to protect bathers from sharks in the warm waters along the coastline of South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province is being removed as safety workers prepare to strike over wages.

To reduce the environmental impact of the shark nets and other gear, it’s being taken out of the sea until the strike is resolved, the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board said in a statement.

The Sharks Board oversees protection measures for 37 beaches from Richards Bay, which is north of Durban, South Africa’s third-biggest city, to Port Edward in the far south of the province. The South African Liberated Public Sector Workers Union may strike from Friday. Government officials and the Sharks Board are telling beach-goers to be cautious.