Poaching of marine resources have decreased exponentially since the South African Defence Force (SANDF) was deployed along the Overberg coastline at the end of July.
Past experience shows that these activities continue unabated as soon as the soldiers leave the area. The solution for this, said Brigadier Donovan Heilbron, Overberg Police Cluster Commander, would be to have the SANDF deployed to the region permanently.
“We need a sustainable strategy to address poaching. Operations in hot spot areas should be done on a continuous basis,” he stated.
“Evidence indicates that poaching activities have shifted to the Eastern Cape where a number of known local poachers from our area were arrested in Jeffrey’s Bay.”
The Western Cape coastline has a vast number of both informal slipways and unmonitored launch locations with a few smaller harbours. It is largely due to this situation, said Lieutenant Commander Moleleki Thoso, that the coastline can be easily exploited for criminal activities.Objectives
The SANDF has been deployed to the Overstrand under the auspices of Operation Corona to join forces with the police, CapeNature, local law-enforcement agencies and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), to protect marine resources and curb maritime crimes.
The forces, under the operational command of Joint Tactical Headquarters Western Cape (J Tac HQ WC) commanding officer Colonel Gaba Mahanjana, set up bases in Gansbaai, Hermanus and Onrus. Land and sea patrols were launched from these bases with the support of an Oryx helicopter from 22 Squadron.
Maritime patrols are done from Hangklip in the Kleinmond area to Die Damme outside Gansbaai.
“Our 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,” Thoso explained. “Our area of interest is from Lambert’s Bay to Cape Infanta.”
Mahanjana added: “This deployment acts as a deterrent, but is also an intelligence gathering operation. Intelligence agencies keep us informed but soldiers on the ground do reconnaissance and from there we plan what actions to take.”Arrests
Joint operations involving the SANDF, CapeNature, DFFE, Overstrand Law Enforcement and local police, have led to the arrest of one suspect for the possession of an unlicensed firearm, one for possession of drugs and a suspect wanted by the police for questioning. Traffic fines to the value of R34 000 were also issued.
“The success of the operation will not be measured by the number of arrests made and confiscated poaching resources but that we as the SANDF, while deployed along the Overstrand coast, restrict poaching activities and disrupt the status quo of poachers,” he said.