Pongola farmer Coen Labuschagne has agreed to suspend his single-pen crocodile “finishing” unit, but now has plans to move his commercial farming enterprise out of the country.
Last week, The Mercury reported that the SPCA was laying criminal charges against Labuschagne’s commercial farming operation, Metcroc Boerdery, which it said was keeping more than 200 crocodiles in conditions that were “shocking” and “cruel”.
The crocodiles’ skins are destined for fashion houses in Europe where they will be made into high-end belts, shoes and handbags.
SPCA spokesman Nazareth Appalsamy said that a visit to the farm had revealed crocodiles “incarcerated” in sunken concrete “coffins” 1.8m wide, without protection from the sun and in water no more than 300mm deep. The reptiles, he said, were unable to turn their bodies around or leave the water.
Labuschagne, who denied that the conditions were cruel, said on Thursday that he was removing the reptiles from the pens because the SA Crocodile Farmers’ Association had issued a statement saying it was withdrawing its support for the single-pen method of farming until further research was done.
“I am doing this for the sake of our industry,” he said.
“This single penning has been in our farmers’ minds and discussions have been happening for quite a few years now. But few farmers have done something about it.
“In Zimbabwe and Mozambique, farmers can do what they want to ensure top-quality skins. We can’t compete with them. They don’t have things like the SPCA there. Here farmers keep their crocodiles in communal ponds, which means the skins get damaged (through fighting). Over the past two years I have had a financial situation due to the recession. It’s because of that I had to do this.”
He said that because of the SPCA’s action he was “definitely evaluating” the option of taking his “finishing” operation out of the country.
Appalsamy said the farmers’ association announcement would not deter the SPCA from pressing charges against Labuschagne.
“Why weren’t they willing to sit down and talk before we took action? They should have taken responsibility, but it was only when we decided to prosecute that they did anything,” he said. - The Mercury