Fisheries Department didn’t know about cocaine smuggling off SA’s coastal waters.

South Africa’s Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment said it didn’t know about a link between cocaine smuggling and abalone poaching. However, it said joint operations were underway.

It said it had no knowledge of a report linking Hout Bay’s abalone-poaching economy to offshore cocaine trafficking.

The department made the admission after People’s Post had sent questions. This followed its investigation into criminal networks allegedly using poaching vessels as cover for offshore cocaine retrievals.

Its Director of Communications and Advocacy, Zolile Nqayi, responded: “The department is not aware of the GI-Toc [Global Initiative Against Transnational Organised Crime] report’s findings.
The South African Police Service will be made aware of this for further investigation through existing structures such as Initiative 5 of Phakisa.”

What is Initiative 5?

The department leads Initiative 5 of Operation Phakisa, a coordinated multi-agency enforcement programme covering South Africa’s coastal waters. It draws together the Hawks, police, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and other government departments under one operational platform.

Nqayi said the programme drives regular joint operations in Hout Bay. Teams conduct land-based and sea-based inspections, investigations and deployments. The aim is to stop illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

“Initiative 5 has become the basis for all collective responses to poaching activities in the Hout Bay area,” Nqayi said.

The department uses the same platform to share intelligence with the Hawks and police on poaching and related criminal activity.

More resources needed

Nqayi was candid about what the department still needed. It wanted funding for longer, continuous joint operations. It also wanted drones, radar systems and high-speed inflatable boats.

It was also reviewing the Marine Living Resources Act to make it tougher against illegal fishing. The NPA and police receive training in marine and environmental legislation to strengthen prosecutions.

Fishing industry steps back

The South African Pelagic Fishing Industry Association (Sapfia), which represents the anchovy and sardine sectors, said it could not comment on the matter. Its chief executive Mike Copeland told People’s Post it has had no physical presence at Hout Bay Harbour since the last small pelagic factory closed in 2019.

“We are therefore not in a position to provide any comment on this matter, for with no physical presence in the harbour we really have no current local knowledge.”

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