Perlemoen poachers causing nightmare in Redhouse

Redhouse Village residents are living in fear because of perlemoen poacher activity in the area.

Poachers frequently use a road that runs through the village, and when they pass by the estuary in their boats, residents must avoid using or even glancing at their cellphones.

If the poachers suspect they are being watched, they might assume they are being spied on.

A resident, who asked not to be named, said the problem had been around for years but was now worse.

“The poachers regularly turn into Redhouse off the R367 and then drive upriver on the dirt road next to the railway line.

“We dare not confront them but at one point we tried putting a pole across.

“They just tossed it aside and carried on.

“They come and go as they like. People are rattled.

“They are making millions by destroying our reefs and at the same time are wrecking the tranquillity of our village.

“We just want them stopped so we can have some peace.”

She said one of the poachers’ main launch sites was in the Sumcay area, on the south side of the river between Redhouse and Despatch.

“They get there via either the railway road or Perseverance Road.

“Couldn’t the police monitor these routes? They could catch them in the act of launching from an illegal site.

“And from what we have seen their boats are not licensed either.”

She said another problem was the lack of proper control at the public slipway at Tiger Bay, below Swartkops Village.

“The boom is often not locked and the ducks launch from there.”

Another Redhouse resident said there was a concern that the poachers were infiltrating the village.

“On nights when diving is happening, you’ll see the guardjies running up and down the towpath and flashing their lights, signalling.”

He said he was convinced the problem could be resolved quickly if law enforcement officials applied themselves and were backed by their superiors.

“You can predict like clockwork when conditions are right and there will be poacher activity.

“If they did DNA tests on the suspects’ boats they would be able to prove they had been used to handle perlemoen.

“Even if the poachers swabbed their decks down they wouldn’t be able to get rid of all traces of the perlemoen juice.

“There is also financial legislation which allows officers of the law to stop suspects and call on them to prove how they acquired their boats, vehicles and other assets.

“In no time at all, by going after the money, they could trap these guys.

“But corruption and lack of political will reaches right to the top and until that changes this problem won’t go away.”

Another resident said the Sumcay launch site was clearly visible, with a front end loader obviously having been used to gouge vegetation out the bank.

“There is also an illegal launch site on the north side of the river opposite Bar None.

“The guess is they go in via Eland Street in Despatch and then use the dirt roads past Sandman Quarry.”

As The Herald discovered, the two launch sites are visible both from the river and on Google Earth.

The resident said there had been no apparent response from the authorities since The Herald’s front page story on September 17 about the perlemoen poacher activity in the Swartkops.

“Usually, five poacher boats come down and return on our stretch of the estuary, whenever the diving conditions are reasonable.

“More join downstream and up to nine ride out and back through the mouth.”

A month ago, residents of other communities lower down the estuary spoke out about the danger to night fishermen bobbing on the estuary in small dinghies as the powerful poacher vessels, unlit to avoid detection, raced across the water.

They pointed to the environmental damage being done by the illegal launch sites and said while some officials were doing their best, on many occasions residents got no response from the authorities when they reported suspicious activity.

Most of the actual diving and poaching is being done on the coastal reefs on the Wild Side along Marine Drive.

The area is also being targeted by poachers who access it via the metro’s Cape Recife Nature Reserve.

Asked about the situation in Redhouse, Nelson Mandela Bay spokesperson Sithembiso Soyaya said the metro was deeply concerned.

“The situation is unacceptable and we are committed to addressing this issue with urgency.

“The metro is collaborating with law enforcement agencies to enhance patrols and surveillance in the affected areas.

“We are also exploring additional measures to deter poaching activities and ensure residents’ safety.”

He said the metro did not at present monitor the railway road that exited west out the village but they were discussing the route with other authorities to assess the feasibility of increasing security and preventing unauthorised activities there.

Soyaya said the metro had considered various measures to counter the poachers’ access at the launch site near Sumcay including a barricade and mounting lookouts.

“Implementing these measures requires co-ordination with multiple agencies and resources.

“We are working on a comprehensive plan to enhance security at key points, including Sumcay.”

Asked about the concern raised by residents that no further action appeared to have been taken by the authorities since The Herald’s front page story in mid-September, he said the perception was incorrect.

“In the past month, the metro has intensified its efforts to combat perlemoen poaching.

“We have increased patrols and surveillance in collaboration with law enforcement agencies.

“Despite these efforts, we acknowledge that the poaching activity remains a significant challenge. We are committed to continuing our efforts.

“We urge residents to report any suspicious activities and assure them that their safety is our utmost priority.”

Department of forestry, fisheries and the environment communications chief director Peter Mbelengwa said the department was prioritising the issue of poacher activity in the Redhouse area.

“We are engaging with other stakeholders to plan regular operations, patrols and observations to gather information.

“[The department] will ensure that poaching is prevented by deploying manpower and being visible, which will reduce the risk of poachers threatening locals.”

He said the department would also raise residents’ concerns with the police and other law enforcement agencies, under the aegis of Operation Phakisa, and take the lead to ensure that operations to address poaching took place regularly.

“Now amendments to legislation are being considered to ban all registration of inflatable boats including rubber ducks on the Swartkops estuary.”

Asked about the monitoring of the different launch sites and roads used by the poachers, police spokesperson Captain Andre Beetge said: “SAPS Despatch and Swartkops regularly patrol all possible entry points and access routes.”

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