Net tightens on marine crime in Northern Cape coastal clampdown

AUTHORITIES have turned up the heat along the Northern Cape coastline, launching a sweeping crackdown on crimes threatening the province’s vital ocean economy. 

Over four days of co-ordinated operations, law enforcement teams fanned out across key coastal hot spots including Kleinzee, Port Nolloth, Groenrivier, Hondeklipbaai and Alexander Bay as part of the national anti-crime initiative, Operation Phakisa.

According to provincial police spokesperson Sergeant Molefi Shemane, the operation, which ran from March 20 to 23, brought together a powerhouse of enforcement muscle - ranging from specialised SAPS units and environmental authorities to traffic officers and customs K9 units.

Roadblocks, vehicle checks and foot patrols kept the pressure on both land and sea. One motorist was arrested for drunk driving, and a slew of fines - totalling nearly R50,000 - were dished out for traffic violations and breaches of the Marine Living Resources Act.

Authorities also conducted compliance inspections at fish processing facilities, harbours, campsites, and local businesses to ensure full adherence to environmental and operational regulations.

From disrupting illegal seafood operations to reining in reckless drivers, Sergeant Shemane said the high-impact operation recorded several successes, and that more enforcement efforts are on the cards as efforts ramp up to safeguard marine resources and clamp down on illicit activities draining the province’s blue economy.

* The multi-disciplinary operation involved a range of specialised units and supporting agencies:

SAPS Units:

• Border Policing

• Operational Response Services

• Stock Theft and Endangered Species Unit

• Vehicle Crimes Investigation Unit

• Springbok K9

• Highway Patrol

• Crime Intelligence

Supporting Agencies:

• Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment

• Customs K9

• South African National Parks

• Provincial Traffic authorities