Good day to all
I wish to inform you that Willem de Bruyn from Zelpy Fishing Resort and Game Lodge contacted me and we discussed the whole issue about the relocation of Carp to his dam.
We had a very constructive conversation and he provided his background to me with regard to the fishing resort. Willem was contacted by some so called specimen anglers who offered to stock his farm dam with “rescued” big Carp if they could get access to the dam. Willem regarded it also as a business opportunity to expand his game breading project with a fishing venue to generate additional income while he also provided proper facilities to convert his game farm to a guest farm. While he was not an angler in the past, the opportunity to establish an ethical specimen fishing venue was an opportunity he was looking for to expand his “resort” idea.
Unfortunately he was not aware that the fish were relocated to his venue illegally as people told him the fish were “rescued” while he also was confronted with more people that said that they could provide him with big fish if paid. Unfortunately he though that it was the way how things are done to establish a big carp venue as it was a new venture to him. When SACS opened the whole issue to the public he realized that something was wrong and he had to work through the issue alone as he suddenly had to come to the conclusion that it is not the way it should have been done.
Willem told me that he would like to take the opportunity through SACS to apologize to all anglers while he wronged to receive fish moved illegally to his dam and being drawn into a space where money was exchanged for fish relocated. He assured me that it was not his intention to have fish stolen from other venues to be relocated to his venue as he was under the impression that the big fish relocated would be saved from other people killing it.
I think that it was indeed a big step from Willem to accept responsibility and that it takes a special person to indeed do so. I have accepted Willem’s unconditiinal apology as the institution that made this issue public; as he also assured me that he already stopped the illegal relocation of fish to his venue.
Due to Willem’s acceptance of responsibility and per his request, I have decided that SACS would assist Willem to do proper fish management at his venue in future per contract arrangement to be finalized soon.
Willem will stay in control of his venue and SACS will assist him on the fishing side with proper lake rules and management of the fishing resources. We are also working towards a benefit for SACS subscribers visiting the venue.
I would like to request all who visited the venue in the past and perhaps are reluctant to visit it now, to reconsider and to support it again. Willem indeed has shown remorse and it will also be good if we could accept his apology in a good spirit.
Visit the following link for more information about the resort: Zelpy Resort
Please contact me personally at md@sacarp.co.za if you have more inquiries.
Kind regards