ANOTHER fish poacher was arrested after he was found gill netting on the Illovo River near the steel bridge at Lower Illovo recently.

Also read: Illovo River fish poacher arrested

Acting on information from an informant, members of the Coastal Marine Task Force (CMTF) and an ET Rapid Response officer observed the man conducting the fishing early in the morning on a makeshift raft. A CMTF member who will not be named to protect his identity, said rather than arresting the suspect immediately, which could have resulted in an escape due to the dense vegetation nearby, they waited at the exit of the bush path used to access the river.

“About two hours later, the suspect emerged as anticipated, and he was swiftly apprehended upon exiting the thick bush. Due to his possession of a large bush knife and failure to comply, it was necessary to restrain him quickly to ensure the safety of the team,” said the member.

The suspect was found in possession of eight tilapia, five barbel, and two mullet. All barbel and one tilapia, which were still alive at the time, were released back into the river. He and his 200m net were handed over to the Amanzimtoti police for processing.

At the end of May, another person was arrested for poaching fish on the same river.

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