After being notified of a gill net awash on the shore on Saturday morning, members of the Anti-Poaching Reaction Unit (APRU) were surprised to see what poachers had snared this time around.

Venturing into the cold Richards Bay Harbour water, they retrieved a 5m net that had been set to target crabs and crayfish.

Each victim had to be painstakingly cut from the net that entangled their claws, with 5 live crayfish and 15 crabs of various species released.

However, 14 crabs, 3 crayfish and 2 line fish were already dead and taken by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment officials present.

Thanks were expressed to APRU members and Meerensee CPF responders.

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