COASTAL MARINE
TASK FORCE
Providing frontline support to environmental stakeholders in the protection and conservation of South Africa's coastal biodiversity.
Defending South Africa's Coastline Against Marine Crime
The CMTF is a volunteer-driven organisation dedicated to combating illegal fishing, gillnetting, and marine poaching along the KwaZulu-Natal coast. Founded by passionate conservationists, we work shoulder-to-shoulder with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, SAPS, Metro Police, and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife.
Our operational reach spans from Richards Bay in the north to the Wild Coast in the south — with plans to expand coverage across the entire South African coastline. Every patrol, every seized gillnet, every apprehended suspect brings us closer to preserving our marine heritage for future generations.
Operations Overview
Coastal Patrols
Regular dawn-to-dusk patrols across fishing hotspots — inspecting permits, monitoring bag limits, and ensuring compliance with marine regulations.
Anti-Poaching Operations
Intelligence-driven sting operations targeting illegal gillnetting, overfishing, and marine resource theft along estuaries, rivers, and coastline.
Gillnet Removal
Systematic search and seizure of illegal gillnets — indiscriminate traps that kill sharks, rays, turtles, dolphins, and juvenile fish populations.
Community Intelligence
Working with the public and local informants to gather tip-offs and rapidly deploy to active poaching incidents along the coast.
REPORT POACHING NOW
Witness illegal fishing, gillnetting, or poaching activity? Report it immediately via WhatsApp. Your tip-off could save marine life.