Crocodiles kill 8 fish poachers

By Charlotte Musarurwa

From The Sunday Mail
January 17, 2010

EIGHT fish poachers have been killed by crocodiles at Harare’s Lake Chivero in the past two weeks while a ninth person was attacked and seriously injured yesterday.

Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority spokesperson Ms Caroline Washaya-Moyo confirmed the attacks, saying the victims included both men and women.
‘These people did not have licences that gave them the permission to fish in the lake. In the past two weeks alone, we have had eight people attacked and killed by crocodiles and all but two bodies were recovered.
“These people included both men and women and all of them were poachers. Their colleague have not been deterred as they keep returning to the same site,” she said.
Most of the killed poachers are believed to have been residents of Porta Farm, which is along the Harare-Bulawayo road, while others are from the Norton area.
Poachers are often seen selling fresh fish along the highway and some move from door to door selling their catch.
Although Lake Chivero has many crocodiles, there is one which is believed to be behind most of the attacks.
Ms Washaya-Moyo said the authority was worried by the frequency of the attacks, adding that they were making efforts to minimise such incidents.
“We are appealing to the public countrywide to acquire their licences for fishing and hunting. If they have expired, they should have them renewed. This is the only way they can operate safely.”
Ms Washaya-Moyo said the authority had also stepped up patrols in the lake area to arrest people fishing illegally.
“If anyone breaks the set laws and regulations, we will not hesitate to arrest them.”
The Parks and Wildlife Management Authority recently froze all hunting permits for the processes of verification.
This was in the wake of allegations that people had been using forged hunting permits and documents to export trophies.

Starving people do desperate things. I don't see how having a fishing license will protect them from crocs though.

Should read "Crocodiles perfect cheap and practical antipoaching technique".

quote:

Originally posted by gbanger:
Starving people do desperate things. I don't see how having a fishing license will protect them from crocs though.

+1

quote:

Originally posted by SG Olds:
Should read "Crocodiles perfect cheap and practical antipoaching technique".

+1

quote:

Originally posted by Kathi:

Ms Washaya-Moyo said the authority was worried by the frequency of the attacks, adding that they were making efforts to minimise such incidents.

“We are appealing to the public countrywide to acquire their licences for fishing and hunting. If they have expired, they should have them renewed. This is the only way they can operate safely.”

Interesting; apparently their crocodiles can read.

Poachers are often seen selling fresh fish along the highway and some move from door to door selling their catch. Although Lake Chivero has many crocodiles, there is one which is believed to be behind most of the attacks. Ms Washaya-Moyo said the authority was worried by the frequency of the attacks, adding that they were making efforts to minimize such incidents.“We are appealing to the public countrywide to acquire their licenses for fishing and hunting. If they have expired, they should have them renewed. This is the only way they can operate safely.” She went on to point out that under Robert Mugabe's tenure, Zimbabwe has made huge strides in raising the literacy rates among crocodiles and they have been instructed to only eat people without valid licenses.

gbanger:

I am with you, definitely!`I always thought that starving human beings come ahead of anyone else on the planet -and, however those starving human beings have to deal with a competitor like a croc is up to them -and totally morally supportable -whatever methods they use. ( Doesn't Genesis say something about the Lord giving his creations(us)"dominion" over every other creature on the planet?)

Full disclosure - I spent about 5 weeks in the African bush once in 1993 -Chirisa safari district in Zimbabwe. I arrived in very early days of May -and saw waterholes everywheres - and was warned to stay at least 10 feet back from any waterhole because the crocs were lurking. I saw them constantly -and like most locals developed an immediate hatred of crocs. I shouldn't say this -but if crocs disappeared tomorrow, I wouldn't cry about it.

Fish poachers.


If they stop them from poaching fish do ya think theses hardened criminals will turn to poaching rats?

quote:

We are appealing to the public countrywide to acquire their licences for fishing and

You sure would think those poor poachers would buy a fishing licence so the Crocs would know not to eat'em!

Ya gotta be pretty hungry to risk death by crocodile to go fishing. Let 'em fish. Mugabe has enough stolen relief money in his Swiss accounts to feed those poor bastards. He won't cough it up, though.