Durban - A poacher received a 12-month sentence from a KZN court after he was found with 21 crayfish - 13 more than the legal limit.
Mbongiseni Dube, 58, of Groutville, received the hefty sentence - or a R12 000 fine - in the Stanger Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday for contravening the Marine Living Resources Act.
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife said in terms of the act, a permit was required when fishing for the crayfish.
“There is a bag limit of eight per person per day, of which all of the animals in your possession must be of a minimum legal size limit of 65mm. No one may fish for east coast rock lobster during the closed season (November 1 to the last day in February).”
These lobsters cannot be sold and fishermen are not allowed to stockpile them. They are allowed to have only eight in their possession at any given time.
Ezemvelo found Dube in possession of 21 east coast rock lobster (crayfish) on the beach at Chaka’s Rock on May 4 last year. He was arrested and charged by their officers for exceeding his daily bag limit of crayfish by 13 and also for possession of one undersized crayfish.
Dube, they said, was a well-known crayfish poacher in the Ballito area and had been apprehended and charged by their officers on numerous occasions.
At the court proceedings, staff, including senior marine scientist Tembisa Jordaan, gave extensive evidence in aggravation of sentence pointing out the ecological rationale regarding bag limits, size limits and closed seasons associated with crayfish.
A well-placed source told The Mercury there were more than 50 prosecutions every year in such cases.
“This is only on the Richards Bay side, not even north of that. These are just the ones who get caught; if you look at the ones that get away, that’s a different kettle of fish.”
He said poachers had, for at least 15 years, been selling crayfish on the South Coast. The delicacy is typically sold for between R60 and R80.
“The authorities chase them away on a daily basis, but they always return.”
The problem was exacerbated by poachers from “all walks of life”.
“You have wealthy divers, some of whom own their own ski boats, doing this. You also have the indigent men and women who are selling the crayfish (and other sea life) to eat,” he said.
Restaurants, he said, were also “huge culprits”.
“Many buy from non-official sources, fuelling the demand for the crayfish, and other species such as rock cod.”
The Mercury