Tackling abalone poachers
Tsila Makhuvha
27 January 2004
The department of environment affairs and tourism confiscated a vessel estimated at R300 000 and diving gear valued at R120 000 while tracking down abalone poachers in Mitchell's Plain in the Western Cape last week.
The department's crackdown operation involved the use of sophisticated tracking equipment inserted in some of the abalone.
The fisheries control officers then followed the abalone, which was separated and repeatedly re-packed into smaller packages, and eventually tracked down all the abalone in five different houses in Mitchell's Plain.
In another incident, the department's officials arrested a skipper who resisted arrest after the fisheries control officers found him with 2 260 shucked abalone.
Officials also seized diving gear used in committing the alleged offences, including diving suits, masks, flippers, weight belts and scuba gear.
The department said it had significantly stepped up its compliance,
monitoring and surveillance activities towards abalone poaching.
The department's deputy director-general for marine and coastal management, Horst Kleinschmidt, confirmed that the department has recently taken possession of a number of vessels and vehicles that were confiscated and subsequently forfeited to the courts.
"At a time of year when abalone fetches premium prices in the Far East, the department has correctly anticipated an increase in the levels of abalone poaching", said Kleinschmidt.
On 13 January the department confiscated three vehicles, three deep freezers and R294 500 during operation Neptune. Two days later, nine people were arrested and 11 963 of abalone were seized.
On 17 January members of operation Neptune and the department confiscated 438 abalone and 390 west coast rock lobster and arrested three people. On 18 January the department's fisheries control officers in Port Elizabeth arrested 12 poachers after a late night vessel
chase.
And on 19 January, three 4x4 vehicles were dispatched to the Eastern Cape to be used in patrolling the coastline, the department said.
Kleinschmidt confirmed that the department was at an advanced stage of developing a strategic plan for the management of the abalone resource in the Eastern Cape.
Source: BuaNews
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