It would seem that the police can only do so much in the fight against abalone poaching, matters are now in the hands of the country’s legal system. It was reported in the press this week that the case against 25 members of a major abalone syndicate has been postponed for another two weeks.

Two of the accused, husband and wife Frank and Josephine Barends, have lodged an application for a stay of prosecution.  The two week delay is to allow the couple a chance to make final admissions or enter plea agreements.  The trial has not yet begun.

The Costa Concordia was back in the news this week with South African company Xtreme Projects and Kevin Kelly grabbing the headlines.  There is a huge amount of local pride around the raising of the stricken vessel and the role that South Africans played in the salvage operation.  Kelly and Xtreme Projects were responsible for the large orange booms that surrounded the vessel during the operation.  The booms were designed to prevent any oil or other waste products that may have leaked from the vessel during the salvage operation from reaching the coast or moving out to sea.

Kelly was quoted as saying that he had no idea it would become such a big story.  “I am still a little shocked.”

Adding to the wave of positivity around the salvaging of the Costa Concordia, Nick Sloane, widely regarded as the master mind behind the greatest salvage operation in history, also made headlines this week.

Sloane has been described as a hero and a rock star by the international press and in an interview with a local newspaper he described some of the challenges faced when undertaking the massive salvage operation.  In the end he said that it was the words of Nelson Mandela that inspired him, ”Everything looks impossible, and then you do it!”

Another wandering seal has been sighted at Misty Cliffs beach near Scarborough.  It was reported in the press that, according to Luke Kruyt of TEARS Animal Rescue, the seal seemed to be in good health and would no doubt move on within a few days.  The leopard seal is thousands of kilometres away from its home in Antarctica.

Members of the public have be warned to stay away from the seal if they come across it, as leopard seals can be aggressive.