Seven men, all in their twenties, were arrested for poaching earlier today.
Police confiscated 113 crayfish as well as the suspects’ diving gear.
The poaching bust comes after Detective Warrant Officer Henry van Vuuren from Southport police received information about divers collecting crayfish in the Sea Park area.
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After a lengthy period of observation and investigation, several men were seen getting into a white bakkie in the Sea Park area and the driver took off on the R102 in a northerly direction.
Police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Zandra Wiid said that W/Off van Vuuren and his detective colleagues followed the vehicle and several attempts were made to stop it, but the driver refused to stop.
However they managed to force the driver to stop near the Southport intersection. The suspects bolted from the vehicle and scattered, with the police, members of the community and Road Traffic inspectorate officers in hot pursuit.
The bakkie with the men’s diving gear.
It was established that the suspects are from Chesterville area in Durban.
Officials from Department of Forestry, Agriculture and Fisheries are assisting police with the disposal of with the recovered crayfish in an appropriate manner.
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They will be charged under Regulation 44(1) (a) of Act 18/1998 – fishing, collecting, disturbing rock lobster which is in berry, Regulation 52(a) of Act 18/1998 – Engage in fishing, collecting, disturb or in possession of east coast rock lobster with carapace less than 65mm and regulation 44(1)(a) of Act 18/1998 – without a permit engage in fishing, collecting, keeping , storing crayfish.
- 26 of the 113 crayfish were in berry and 16 undersize
They appear in the Port Shepstone Magistrate’s court tomorrow (Friday).
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