Poachers were in for a surprise when the SANDF, instead of deploying only to one area as in the past, deployed to several spots along the Overstrand coastline.
A large contingent of personnel has been stationed at Uilenkraalsmond, near Die Damme, Gansbaai, Hermanus and Onrus since Thursday 24 February in order to do visibility patrols on land and sea from Pringle Bay to Die Damme.
In addition to this, explained officer commanding, Colonel Gaba Mahanjana, teams have been stationed all along the Western Cape coastline from Lamberts Bay to Cape Infanta.
The main reason for the deployment along the whole coastline, said Mahanjana, is to prevent a situation where poachers move from an area that is being patrolled to other areas, as happened in the past.
This approach paid off with a number of arrests and confiscations as well as fines that were issued in the West Coast.
The military deployment consisting of the SA Air Force, SA Navy, SA Military Health Services and Military Police works closely with the local police and Law Enforcement, Cape Nature and the Department of Forestry Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) under Operation Corona, aimed at conducting maritime border safeguarding operations.
Objectives
The focus of Operation Corona, stated Mahanjana, is to prevent illegal activities by denying poachers access to the ocean.
“The primary objective is to keep marine resources in the sea where they belong, to build confidence and trust with the local communities and to obtain situational awareness,” he explained.
“The success of this operation will not be measured by the number of arrests made and the confiscated maritime poaching resources but by the fact that we (SANDF), while deployed along the Overstrand coast, restrict poaching activities and disrupt the status quo of the poachers.”
The SANDF has also established a Joint Operations Centre (JOC) in the Overstrand where all information is gathered, received and vetted to determine its accuracy and disseminated to plan the necessary actions to be taken.
This information, explained Operational Commander, Lieutenant Samkelo Maqolo, is also utilised to prevent crimes on land, such as the transportation of poached resources (abalone and West Coast Rock Lobster). This involves regular Vehicle Check Points, also known as roadblocks.
Such inspections were done at Bloubaai, Castle Beach, Franskraal, Danger Point, De Kelders, Kleinbaai, Blompark, Beverly Hills, Die Damme, Voëlklip, Hermanus CBD and Sandbaai.Arrests
A roadblock held in cooperation with Overstrand Traffic, Overstrand Law Enforcement and the K9 Unit in Gansbaai last Thursday, yielded fines to the value of R15 500 issued for various offences including driving while holding a cellphone (R1 000), driving an unlicensed vehicle (R2 000) and driving without a driving licence (R7 500).
A 56-year-old resident of Franskraal was also arrested at the roadblock for driving under the influence of alcohol. Another suspect was arrested for being in possession of two small bags of tik.
Captain Walter Kassaka, the communications officer, reports that one man was taken into custody on a charge of intimidation for allegedly threatening an officer of the law.
Lieutenant Col Adriaan Lotriet, SANDF staff officer for operations, says it is estimated that the SANDF’s presence since February has prevented the poaching of abalone worth millions of rands.
“Information we received indicates that approximately 1 ton of abalone is poached in the Gansbaai area per week,” he said. “This means we have prevented millions of rands of abalone from being illegally harvested. Our main focus has been to control slipways across the Overstrand, preventing poachers from going to sea.
“The ideal situation and most effective concept would be to have a continuous presence.
“At present we do not have a permanent base in the area, which means we have to stay at camping sites. This makes things difficult, especially security wise as the public knows ahead of time when we are coming.
“Having a permanent base would also bring the cost of the operation down.”
