Dear community member/stakeholder

As you are aware, the Sardinia Bay coastal zone is experiencing a notable increase in illegal activities, most urgently abalone poaching and unlawful wood cutting, which are having a significant impact on both environmental integrity and community safety. The Sardinia Bay MPA also holds significant cultural value, most notably for traditional healers as a place to collect natural resources and connect with the ancestral world. The area is culturally important, rooted in its spiritual and medicinal importance.

The increase in illegal activity impacts the rights of people to use the MPA for cultural and spiritual purposes, as their safety and security are not guaranteed, making them vulnerable to crimes such as theft, assault, and possible gender-based crimes.

As community stakeholders/residents we have observed the following over recent months:

1. Increased night-time and early-morning abalone poaching activity, including the movement of unidentified vehicles and individuals entering the MPA unlawfully.

2. Ongoing illegal removal of coastal vegetation and dune forest wood is causing environmental damage and providing concealment opportunities for criminal operations.

3. A visible rise in related petty crimes in surrounding residential areas, including break-ins, theft from properties, and suspicious foot traffic moving through greenbelt areas adjoining the MPA.

These environmental crimes and petty offences are increasingly linked. The movement of poaching syndicates through the dunes and coastal bush creates opportunities for secondary criminal activity, undermining residents' and visitors’ safety and sense of security.

The SAPS Mounted Unit is uniquely positioned to offer effective coverage of this terrain. Horses provide a silent, elevated, and mobile patrol capacity that is well-suited to dune systems, coastal forests, and trails inaccessible to vehicles. Their presence would serve both as a deterrent to illegal operations and as a reassurance to the public.

As a community we therefore respectfully request:

1. Regular mounted patrols in the Sardinia Bay MPA, particularly during early mornings, evenings, and weekends when illegal activity is most prevalent.

2. Joint patrol coordination with local conservancy members, Honorary Rangers, Environmental Management Inspectors (EMIs), and municipal coastal management teams.

3. Assistance in monitoring access points, footpaths, and vehicle drop-off sites commonly used by poachers and woodcutters.

4. Support in establishing a reporting and rapid-response protocol between SAPS, the Mounted Unit, and local community safety networks.

Our objective is to strengthen protection of the MPA while improving safety for residents, hikers, beach users, and conservation partners. We believe that a visible, consistent mounted police presence in the MPA and its surrounds would make a substantial difference in curbing these illegal activities. Further to this, we also believe that visible policing may also reduce traffic-related offences in the area.

We appreciate the pressures on SAPS resources and remain committed to collaborating constructively. We are willing to assist with logistical coordination, environmental intelligence, and communication networks to support this deployment.

Please sign and share this petition with other community members/stakeholders to show your support. Thank you for partnering with us to make the Sardinia MPA a safe place for all.

Warm regards

Joleen Steyn Kotze and Martli de Jager

Contact Persons obo of the residents in Lovemore Park/Sardinia Bay, Gqeberha.

(petition photo from the Sardinia Bay Coastal Trust Facebook page)