Durban - Despite about 100 people being arrested for recreational fishing transgressions on Durban’s coast in the past year, the “light” suspended sentences handed down by the courts were not a deterrent, according to Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife.
Spokesman, James Wood, said the organisation’s officers had apprehended two Durban fishermen and the skipper of a fishing charter vessel who were convicted and given various fines, suspended for five years, about two weeks ago.
Wood said police and Ezemvelo officers had searched the vessel, V Cat Too, at its Wilson’s Wharf mooring in July.
“There were people on the vessel and more than 100 fish were found in excess of the total allowed bag limit for anglers. Some of the fish were hidden on the vessel while more than 20 were undersized.”
Anglers R Pillay, 25, of Bonella, and Nick Gresse, 23, of North Beach, pleaded guilty to catching more than the total daily bag limit.
Both are said to have since left Durban. Gresse had more than 10 fish, as well an East Coast rock lobster, and was fined R5 000.
Pillay had 148 fish, of which 17 were undersized. He was fined R20 000 while the skipper was charged under the Merchant Shipping Act for failing to fill in the launch register before taking off to sea, and was fined R1 000.
“The challenges we have are these suspended fines which are not a deterrent to stop people from breaking marine rules,” said Wood, adding that 96 people had been fined for recreational fishing transgressions this year.
“To those who embark on illegal recreational fishing: (to be legal) the licence is just R76 to fish for the whole year, as long as you don’t go beyond the maximum 10 fish a day.”
Lionel Adendorf, spokesman for the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, said they were always worried about any transgression in terms of the Marine Living Resources Act. The act stipulates that licences for recreational fishing cannot be transferred and that recreational fishermen were not allowed to sell their catch.
“Our good relationship with Ezemvelo makes it easy to monitor our marine life, but we are also aware that some culprits slip through the cracks and go unreported. Hence we appeal to communities to alert the police if they see anything suspicious on our coastlines,” said Adendorf.
Vessel owner, Hoosen Seedat, said the anglers had left Durban after the finalisation of the case.
“I understand one has found a job in the Eastern Cape. It is sad that they had to go through this process because they were fishing not for commercial purposes, but to feed their families,” he said.
Department of Justice and Constitutional Development spokesman, advocate Mthunzi Mhaga, said last night that judicial officers exercised their discretion in sentencing and based their decisions on evidence before them.
“I would advise that if they (Ezemvelo) see a trend in what they think is lenient sentencing, they can approach the prosecuting authority and submit aggravating circumstances for harsher sentencing.”
Daily News