The presence of illegal fishing nets in the Amatigulu river has Ezemvelo Honorary Officers Amatigulu concerned about the effect on fish populations in the
river.
During a clean up operation on Saturday April 4 a number of these fishing nets were removed.
With the help of 25 North Coast residents, the group paddled the river, cleaning as they went.
“Fifteen different species of fish were returned alive to the river as well as some fresh water crabs. Bags of rubbish were also collected and disposed of,” said honorary officer Gary Frances.
Frances believes the river should be cleaned on a more regular basis to remove unwanted rubbish and other hazardous material. The group is busy working on a schedule for more clean-up operations in the future.
“They (illegal fishermen) are indiscriminate on what they catch and the fish are often left there for days. Any undersized fish are often killed and cannot be returned to the river. There is also no monitoring of the catches,” Frances said.
The paddlers and their children also enjoyed the beautiful surroundings in the Amatigulu reserve. The kids lined up on the shore to try their hands at some catch and release fishing. The honorary officers thanked all
those who helped out on the day for their help.
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