Cape Town Metro Police seized abalone worth R1 219 500 this week after a high-speed chase.

Two men driving in two separate cars were arrested on the R300.

Officers conducting freeway patrols on the R300 and N2 spotted two suspicious vehicles and gave chase when the drivers refused to stop.

They stopped one of the vehicles before the Hindle Road turnoff on the R300 and found 14 black rubbish bags containing abalone on the back seat.

The 35-year-old suspect was arrested for fishing or the possession of abalone without a permit and for transporting abalone not in a whole state.

The South African Police flying squad were called in to help in the chase and stopped the second vehicle further down the same road. That driver was also arrested.

It is becoming increasingly clear that national government is unable to deal with the crisis of poaching, specifically that of abalone, says DA MP Dave Bryant – Shadow Minister for Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.

According to Bryant, the department has effectively given up on trying to prevent poaching.

If the recent court judgement is anything to go by, the SAPS in the Western Cape is infiltrated by gangsters, many of whom could have connections to the abalone poaching. This firmly emphasises the DA’s call to devolve more authority for policing and fisheries to competent local authorities, such as in the Western Cape.

Dave Bryant, DA Shadow Minister for Environment, Forestry and Fisheries

The City of Cape Town is proving that competent local authorities are able to make a significant impact, even with the scarce resources at their disposal.

Dave Bryant, DA Shadow Minister for Environment, Forestry and Fisheries