In February 2022 Walker Bay staff participated in a joint Operation Phakisa exercise. The operation focused on addressing the Off-Road Vehicle (ORVs) issues being experienced in the Walker Bay Complex and the Overberg region in general. Various authorities from the Western Cape Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Overstrand Law Enforcement and CapeNature’s Walker Bay participated. Area coverage ranged from De Kelders to Rietfontein.

The operation was very successful with many J534 fines being issued for ORV offences, fishing without a permit and drinking alcohol on the beach. The operation achieved its objective of “zero tolerance” enforcement.

The initiative is a continuation of a similarly successful joint operation conducted in January 2022 where a vessel patrol was executed at the Betty’s Bay Marine Protected Area and the Kleinmond area. The focus was on subsistence fishing of West Coast Rock Lobster and vessel compliance. Operations such as these are vital in protecting the West Coast Rock Lobster population and saving it from extinction.