The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) strongly condemns the callous and violent attack on members of two law enforcement agencies early this morning in Hangberg and call on communities to work with these agencies to arrest and prosecute those involved in illegal poaching activities.
Around 5 am this morning, our Special Investigations Unit (SIU) was informed that five boats and around 50 men were diving abalone illegally near Robben Island.
Together with members of the South African Police Service, they then monitored the movements and followed the gang until they stopped in the Karbonkelberg area where around 50 bags stacked with abalone were taken into two different premises in Rhode Vos Road.
The team of almost 30 law enforcement officers then split up and entered the two premises where nothing was found but it was only when they exited the houses, that they were pelted with stones and shot at with boat flares, injuring a police officer and damaging five cars belonging to DAFF’s SIU and seven police vehicles.
This follows on a similar incident on 22 February 2012 in Hawston when the community also revolted against the police after they pulled over a suspicious vehicle on the R43 and found a bag of abalone in the car.
DAFF remains convinced that these criminal acts have nothing to do with a genuine desire to have access to our marine resources but is rather driven by greed and a scant regard for the protection of a resource that is vulnerable to depletion.
Due to the fact that the abalone is already depleted in particular areas and because we understand the need from legitimate permit holders to maintain access to the resource, we have already declared zero-catches in various areas and defended the right of those legitimate abalone permit holders to attain their quota in other geographical areas in the high court.
While we are obviously disappointed about this, DAFF calls on all communities to, instead of siding with criminals who are exploiting the stock and have little regard for the ecological impact of their irresponsible actions, work with DAFF and all law enforcement agencies to manage the resource responsibly and to make sure that these criminals are arrested and prosecuted.
For more information, contact:
Lionel Adendorf
Cell: +27 76 267 5838
Tel: +27 21 402 3702
