The loss of 70 giant river crabs to suspected poachers on Wednesday night has been met with dismay, but there is delight that arrests have been made, Green Ripple environment and climate group spokesperson Div de Villiers says.
De Villiers, a former head of the Green Scorpions and director of compliance in the department of economic development, environmental affairs and tourism, said volunteers from the Eco Scorpion and the Black Scorpion protection services had seen a boat being launched off the slipway at the Kwelera River mouth.
He said, according to an incident report from the Eco Scorpions, the boat was known since the occupants had previously been arrested in it, also involving illegal harvesting of crabs from the river.
They were fined R3,900 and given a final warning that the next time they were caught they would be arrested and prosecuted.
De Villiers said an operation was put in motion by the groups using hi-tech surveillance, camera monitoring and tracking techniques late into the night.
“At 11pm, there was a high-speed [boat] chase, and an unknown number of suspects were apprehended.
“Numerous nets were found set in the river, and the 70 crabs found [alive] on the suspects at the slipway was well in excess of the legal limit.”
According to the report, De Villiers said, role players had included the SAPS, the department of forestry and fisheries, local residents, anglers and other supporting role players.
He said it was now up to the state to do its work to charge and prosecute the suspects.
De Villiers, who co-ordinated the bust, said: “The loss of the giant river crabs is also a huge loss for the ecology of the river.
“These crabs are the ‘solid waste management department’ of the river, cleaning up detritus and maintaining good river health.” — Off Track
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