Nine held for illegal harvesting attempt of marine resources in Robben Island

Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) Minister, Willie Aucamp, has commended the arrest of nine suspects who allegedly attempted to illegally harvest marine resources within the Robben Island Marine Protected Area.    

In a statement on Saturday, the Minister confirmed that the department initiated these arrests in two separate incidents involving attempts to harvest marine resources illegally. 

“I want to send a stern warning to poaching syndicates that the senseless and untethered poaching and plundering of our natural resources will come to an end, whether they like it or not. We will continue to fight until we win the fight against poaching,” the Minister said. 

In the first incident on the evening of Tuesday, 07 April 2026, two rubberducks carrying suspects approached the Robben Island Marine Protected Area and DFFE officials responded immediately.

To evade arrest, the suspects rammed their vessel into a departmental vessel, causing damage to both vessels.

Two suspects were apprehended and handed over to the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Table Bay SAPS for processing. The rubberduck used in the incident was recovered with assistance from South African National Parks (SANParks) and the National Sea Rescue Institute.

In the second incident on Thursday, 09 April 2026, officials were again alerted to the presence of two rubberducks approaching the Robben Island Marine Protected Area.

A joint response by DFFE and SANParks resulted in the successful interception and arrest of seven suspects during the early hours of Friday. 

The department reported that no serious injuries were sustained by its officials or SANParks officials during these two operations.

“The Department continues to collaborate with relevant authorities to strengthen enforcement operations and ensure the protection and sustainability of South Africa’s marine biodiversity. 

“In fact, we have recently established a joint enforcement-based task team with other relevant stakeholders, including Western Cape Province, City of Cape Town, South African Police Services and SANParks, to further intensify the fight against the illegal use of natural resources,” Aucamp said. 

The Minister has urged all stakeholders, including citizens and community leadership, to join the fight by remaining vigilant and supporting ongoing efforts to combat the illegal exploitation of our marine resources. – SAnews.gov.za

447 views