The City of Cape Town’s council have instated a list of new by-laws which include a ban on flying drones without authorisation.
The long list of new regulations is also being enforced in a new, revised style. Enforcers, called “peace officers”, will be able to first give a verbal warning for rule-breakers, this is followed by a fine, and if needed, the power to search, seize, and impound.
This is a relaxing of the previous harsher rules which began with a fine as the first step in the process.
These new rules apply to city nature reserves, estuaries and lagoons.
The by-laws include:
- Nature reserves will be open from sunrise to sunset – with no specific time given due to the extremes in the region during summer and winter.
- No reckless driving in reserves, or bundu bashing off demarcated areas.
- No person may fly a remote control plane, no drones, no landing or taking off of hot balloons and gliders, unless with authorisation.
- No picking plants, throwing seeds, collecting wood, or hunting, growing, or breeding a species in a reserve.
- No guns allowed except by authorised contractors or officials.
- Fishing is allowed in designated areas only, and people who smoke while fishing have to do so in designated areas to avoid fires and butt pollution.
- Water sports are allowed in designated areas, and people who use water-borne transport can only travel between sunrise and sunset.
- No pollution or littering.
- Churches who hold their services on nature reserves must get authorisation to do so.
- No trade is allowed on a nature reserve, unless with authorisation.
- No fixed webcams or other image recording devices such as trail cams are allowed, and nor are recordings of animals for virtual hunting. Recreational photography and filming are permitted, but authorisation is required for other media uses, like films.
Apologies to Cape Nature, who were initially mentioned as having changed these rules when it is not them who were involved
Picture: CapeNature/Twitter