KNYSNA NEWS - Crooks beware, if you’re thinking of abusing the Knysna lagoon or estuary, there’s a new boat on the water and it’s looking for you.
On Tuesday 7 November SANParks Knysna launched iLindile, its new patrol vessel, as part of intensifying their efforts to curb environmental crimes in the estuaries around the Garden Route National Park (GRNP).
iLindile, which means "it awaits" in Xhosa, is a 5.8m long Infanta rubber duck with two four-stroke Yamaha engines pushing out 60hp each – a much more powerful and capable vessel than the 10-year-old smaller rubber duck SANParks has used until now.
SANParks officials all agree the name is quite apt as, they say, this vessel will be waiting for any person who tries their luck in one of Knysna’s most popular attractions.
According to area manager Megan Taplin, the new boat will allow rangers to react much faster than before.
She said that a total of 16 law enforcement officials – all SANParks rangers and monitoring staff – will use this vessel in their crime-fighting efforts along with stakeholders such as the Knysna police and NSRI.
“Because there are so many people who use the estuary, the boat will also assist us in keeping biodiversity in balance with the needs of the community,” she said.
According to Knysna senior section ranger Owen Govender, one has to on occasion be the bad guy first before you can be the good guy, especially when it comes to conservation.
SANParks Knysna officials and their partners in combating crime.
“The boat will assist us in dealing with issues such as noncompliance, confiscating illegal items whether it be sea life or objects used to illegally harvest or catch sea life, and rescue operations,” he said.
According to SANParks some of the major issues they are facing is with residents illegally extracting sea life from the system and people collecting bait illegally.
They have noticed an increase in the number of fines issued for the latter.
All boats being used in and around the Knysna lagoon and estuary will in future need a permit like this one to operate.
Environmental crime statistics supplied by SANParks shows that between January and September this year more than a hundred polychaete worms, 20 bloodworms, more than 400 moonshine worms, 50 cracker shrimp, more than 300 mud prawns, two garden forks, a spear gun, a seine (dragnet), and a number of undersized fish species have been confiscated by SANParks officials.
So think again enviro-criminals, iLindile awaits you.
ARTICLE & PHOTOS: STEFAN GOOSEN, KNYSNA-PLETT HERALD JOURNALIST
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