Call for SA navy to ‘shoot perlies‘
By Lynn Williams
BRAZEN perlemoen poachers who are threatening to drive marine resources to extinction should be shot by the navy in the same way that Australian authorities have solved their illegal marine poaching activities.
This was suggested yesterday by Wilhelm le Roux, Eastern Cape DA member of the National Council of Provinces as a last-ditch – but violent – strategy to end perlemoen poaching in South Africa.
Addressing Environmental Affairs and Tourism Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk yesterday, Le Roux said the SA Navy should be brought in to discuss the issue. “We should stop handling the poachers with kid gloves,” he said.
In his speech, Le Roux referred to a national plan adopted by the Australian government to act on, deter and eliminate illegal and unregulated fishing. He said Australia had been battling with a similar problem with poachers, but claimed the problem was solved within three months after the navy was given permission to shoot at illegal fishing boats.
“The resource is practically destroyed in the Eastern Cape. There is so little perlemoen left that poachers are now looking to poach other resources.
“The perlemoen tragedy will haunt us for years. We have failed to protect our natural marine resources.”
Le Roux also said that corruption in State departments and the police made it easy for poachers to destroy perlemoen resources.
Nelson Mandela Bay Local Environmentalists chairman Greg Smith admitted that poaching was a huge problem, but said: “Going around shooting at people does not float my boat.” Instead, the government needed to find more diplomatic solutions.
“We are trying to discourage violence and respect human rights in South Africa so we must think of other ways to curb poaching,” he said.”
Van Schalkwyk‘s spokesman, Riaan Aucamp, would not be drawn into comment on Le Roux‘s proposal.
lwilliams@johnnicec.co.za
