Sea Shells
Rhinos mark their territory by depositing dung and spraying urine in the same spot – called a ‘midden’. It seemed strange that there are also archaeological middens, which mostly comprise shells and bones – there does not seem to be a connection. However, the word midden comes from a word of Old Danish origin, mykdyngja, which loosely translates into a rubbish heap. Nowadays, the two uses of the word are clearly different.
A shell midden is important, archaeologically, because it was – literally – the rubbish heap of shells that accumulated as a result of human presence. The South African shoreline is dotted with these archaeological treasure-troves, and they are well protected as a result.
The Sea Fishery Act 1988 has been, mostly replaced by the Marine Living Resources Act 1998, except in relation to shells.
- Unless you have a permit, it is a crime to collect and remove shells from the sea or the sea shore except for your own use and in then only in the number permitted by regulation.1
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Section 47(1)g read with section 38(1). ↩