Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning
With regard to abalone poaching in the Western Cape:
(1) (a) What have been the trends in abalone poaching in the Overstrand Municipality and generally in the Southern Cape surrounds for the period 2016/17 to the current financial year and (b) what have been the trends in policing and law enforcement with respect to anti-poaching efforts in the aforementioned areas during the same period;
(2) whether there have been any improvements in the joint operations against abalone poaching since the reclassification of abalone poaching as a priority crime; if so, what are the relevant details;
(3) whether any revised policies from the national government regarding abalone poaching have been bought to his attention; if so,
(4) whether his Department has been consulted; if so, what are the relevant details?
)(a) Trends in abalone poaching in the Overstrand Municipality and the Southern Cape surrounds indicate a steady increase 2016/17 with a peak in 2019. There was a drop in poaching levels between September 2019 to February 2020 a result of joint ongoing and integrated operations between South African National Defence Force (SANDF), Phakisa and local enforcement agencies.
During the early part of 2020, however, the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions had a significant negative impact on compliance and enforcement operations with only intermittent Phakisa operations.
Abalone poaching in the Southern Cape particularly between Plettenberg Bay and Tsitsikamma increased in 2021, primarily due to enforcement pressure in the Overstrand area.
(b) Local enforcement agencies including Overstrand Law Enforcement, South African Police Service Overberg Cluster and CapeNature carried out much of the operational work from 2016/17 to December 2020.
During December 2020 and January 2021, specialised units were included in formal reactive operations, e.g. Task Force and Anti-Gang Unit. Phakisa operations alternating with the previously mentioned locally based enforcement operations continued until May 2021, with the latest SANDF operation.
The trend in the Overstrand and general Southern Cape regions indicates that an increase in policing and law enforcement with respect to anti-poaching efforts with the mentioned joint operations results in a decrease in poaching levels over time.
(2) There has been improvement in joint operations. Effective, intelligence-based and court-driven enforcement operations have taken place resulting in an increase in arrests and confiscation of illegal abalone and poaching equipment, e.g. vessels and vehicles.
(3) CapeNature is not aware of revised polices from national government regarding abalone poaching.
(4) CapeNature has not been consulted with regards to revised policies.
