Bronkhorstspruit Dam hit by fish poachers: 244 carp killed, case dropped

The Citizen

5 days ago

Illegal angling is a massive problem throughout South Africa, with Gauteng and Mpumalanga greatly affected by this booming trade.
The poachers are often not caught, and those who are arrested are merely a drop in the ocean compared to the destruction of freshwater sources and aquatic life.
Perpetrators, if convicted, are mostly issued minimal fines.
The police arrested three illegal immigrants last weekend for netting 244 large carp in the Bronkhorstspruit Dam. A bakkie used to transport bags filled with freshwater fish was confiscated.
The culprits were to appear in the Bronkhorstspruit Magistrate's Court on August 4 for violating the Gauteng Nature Conservation Act 12 of 1983 – specifically angling without a licence under Section 74.
However, the court released the three with a warning and told them they would face a fine if caught again. The case, considered a lesser offence, was removed from the court roll.
Detectives had to return the confiscated vehicle to its lawful owner in Soshanguve. These 244 carp, an alien and invasive species, represent only a small fraction compared to similar incidents in other areas.
According to Warrant Officer Morné Kemp from the Cullinan Stock Theft and Endangered Species Unit, poachers using nets can easily catch 500 fish within two days.
The numbers escalate after spawning periods, when tiny fish hatch from their eggs.
'The small fish are caught and sold in Johannesburg,' Kemp said.
Kemp has investigated multiple cases of freshwater fish poaching in Gauteng.
'We have a massive ongoing problem with illegal angling. Poachers' snares and nets can be found in all the main dams in the province, including local ones such as the Bronkhorstspruit Dam, Bonamanzi, Baja Dam, Pyramid Dam, and the Roodeplaat Dam.'
Unfortunately, Kemp said, poachers often leave the nets in place for days before retrieving them – by which time the fish are dead and decomposing.
'Because of a shortage of law enforcement officers, the police cannot fully manage or curb these crimes. Assistance from volunteers, nature conservation officials, and coordinated operations is essential to combat these offences at dams and rivers.'
Sergeant Francois Joubert, from the Mpumalanga Inland Water Wing based in Middelburg, said illegal angling is also rife in Mpumalanga.
'Two weeks ago, we pulled out about 1km of nets from the river in Grootvlei, which led to the deaths of nearly a thousand fish – mostly indigenous Orange River mudfish (modderbekke). This species is commonly found in the Orange and Vaal River systems.
'This is not a matter of people being hungry. Many of the fish were already dead and started to decompose.'
According to Joubert, the nets vary – from makeshift to more sophisticated ones – kept afloat by polystyrene floats, with the net anchored below by bags of sand.
Both Kemp and Joubert agreed that the majority of poachers are illegal immigrants who are causing irreparable damage to South Africa's dams.