News

Cape Town, 8 July 2007 – A joint operation between Table Mountain National Park (TMNP), Marine Coastal Management and SAPS Hout Bay led to a seizure of a vessel with perlemoen (abalone) and a vehicle with crayfish (West Coast Rock Lobster) in the early hours of Friday, 6th July 2007.

The team had observed poachers placing a boat on a trailer of a 4×4 vehicle, which was then removed from the harbour at around 04h50 am. They then followed the vehicle and pulled it over on Constantia Nek.

The endangered marine stocks were then discovered and the four occupants were arrested for various charges under the Marine Living Resources Act and the 9m vessel and 4X4 vehicle were confiscated.

The four suspects, all from Port Elizabeth, were then arrested and charged at the Hout Bay police station. Two of the suspects were identified as being part of a syndicate arrested in October last year when TMNP marine confiscated two of their boats and a 4 X 4 double cab vehicle.

To date a total of 280 people have been arrested by the TMNP marine team since the establishment of a marine protected area in the Cape peninsula in July 2004.

For further information, please contact: Phumeza Mgxashe, Communications Manager, Table Mountain National Park. Cell: 083 589 8588