KWAZULU-NATAL – Buying illegally caught crayfish from roadside sellers near Hibberdene is helping to destroy a national resource, authorities have been told.

Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Narend Singh said every purchase of unlawfully harvested marine life contributes to the depletion of South Africa’s natural assets.

Singh was speaking to police, prosecutors and members of the Coastal Marine Task Force at a training session in Scottburgh, KwaZulu-Natal, where persistent illegal sales of East Coast rock lobster along the N2 have been reported.

“What may seem like a simple roadside transaction is often the visible end of a longer criminal chain involving unlawful harvesting, storage, transport and sale,” he said.

The deputy minister said these activities place unsustainable pressure on marine resources, undermine lawful fishers, endanger enforcement officers and the public, and erode respect for the law.

Singh said protecting the country’s coastal resources cannot be the responsibility of a single institution or government department alone.

“Coordinated intelligence, lawful investigation, properly preserved evidence, sound charge sheets, informed prosecutorial decisions and consistent court follow-through must all function as integrated parts of a single, effective system,” he said.

Government has allocated long-term fishing rights to 172 cooperatives representing approximately 10 000 fishers through the Small-Scale Fisheries Policy.

Singh said the focus is now shifting towards practical support including markets, infrastructure, cold storage, processing facilities, governance and business development so that lawful users can thrive.

“Effective enforcement protects the space for these lawful participants to succeed. When we fail to prosecute transgressors robustly, we undermine the very opportunities we are creating for coastal communities and future generations,” he said.

Between April and June this year, joint operations opened six case dockets under the Marine Living Resources Act, led to nine arrests and issued 22 admission-of-guilt fines totalling R42 000.

Authorities also confiscated 352 linefish valued at R176 000, East Coast rock lobster valued at R31 500 and 47 illegal gillnets valued at R21 150.

ALSO READ: Organised gangs strip protected reefs whilst understaffed department faces resource crisis

Singh said while progress has been made, challenges remain. Gillnetting continues to devastate estuaries, and complex cases involving undocumented foreign nationals add layers of difficulty.

“Illegal development in sensitive coastal areas such as Umgababa, forestry transgressions and other offences all require the same integrated response across the enforcement chain,” he said.

The deputy minister said effective environmental enforcement is not measured only by arrests and confiscations, but ultimately by successful prosecutions, appropriate sentencing and the ability to protect resources for present and future generations.

The two-day training will cover key areas including the Marine Living Resources Act, illegal fishing, the Integrated Coastal Management Act, off-road vehicle controls, municipal development enforcement, forestry legislation, mining and water-use compliance, biodiversity offences and Marine Protected Areas.

ALSO READ: Police bust illegal marine trade operation worth R100 000 in Monte Vista