KZN coastal monitoring contract still in limbo
After three weeks the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries had not yet renewed the contract or secured an alternative client.
POACHERS and gill netters have reportedly swarmed the KwaZulu-Natal coast after the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) terminated the Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife’s coastal monitoring contract. The decision was finalised on Monday, 1 August.
With no authority to patrol the shores and regulate fishing it has become ‘open season’, said DA spokeswoman for KwaZulu-Natal’s environmental affairs, Ann McDonnell.
What’s more, according to McDonnell, the DAFF had announced last week that Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife’s honorary officers would be redeployed – albeit temporary– to police the provinces’ coastlines until the issue with the contract could be resolved.
However, McDonnell said that this plan had not yet been implemented.
Musa Mntambo, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife spokesman, said he was not aware of any plans to temporarily reinstate the mandate of the wildlife organisation.
Since the honourary officers had no authority to patrol coastlines or fine offenders he said he could not comment on the state of illegal fishing activities.
Bomikazi Molapo, spokeman for the DAFF, would not telephonically comment on the situation. She did, however, insist that the contract had not been terminated, but was simply not renewed.
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