Who We Are & How We Operate
The Coastal Marine Task Force is a volunteer-driven organisation providing critical support to environmental stakeholders in the protection of South Africa's coastal marine biodiversity resources.
Founded by Frontline Volunteers
CMTF known for their relentless pursuit of marine poachers along the KZN coastline. Under the chairmanship of Jay Naidoo, the CMTF has grown from a grassroots initiative into a recognised force that collaborates with government departments, law enforcement, and conservation bodies.
Our volunteers conduct dawn patrols, respond to intelligence tip-offs, inspect fishing permits, seize illegal gillnets, and work with the DFFE to prosecute offenders. The CMTF fights against overfishing, illegal gillnetting, and the destruction of critical marine habitats including estuaries and river mouths.
What Drives Us
Protection
Frontline defence of marine biodiversity and coastal ecosystems against illegal exploitation.
Enforcement
Working with SAPS, Metro Police, and DFFE to ensure marine regulations are upheld and violators face justice.
Community
Volunteer-driven at our core. We partner with local communities, CPFs, and security companies.
Conservation
Every operation serves our ultimate goal — preserving South Africa's marine heritage for future generations.
Illegal Gillnetting: An Ecological Catastrophe
In the past 15 years, there has been a sharp increase in the use of illicit gillnets in estuaries, freshwater bodies, and the sea within South Africa. These curtain-like nets are suspended vertically and entangle nearly everything — sharks, rays, turtles, dolphins, birds, and juvenile fish.
Gillnets are unselective and a highly destructive fishing practice. Many species use estuaries as nurseries for their young. These nets trap fish of all sizes, including juveniles, disrupting the reproductive cycle and decimating populations. Lost or discarded nets become "ghost nets" — continuing to kill silently for months.
Beyond environmental damage, these nets endanger human lives. There are multiple reports of swimmers, paddlers, and even the fishers themselves becoming entangled and drowning.
From Grassroots to National Force
CMTF was founded by conservationists as a volunteer-driven force to combat escalating marine poaching along the KZN coast.
Operational reach expanded from the initial South Coast area to cover Richards Bay in the north down to the Wild Coast in the south.
Formalised joint operations with SAPS, DFFE, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Durban Metro Police, and community policing forums.
Plans unveiled to expand CMTF coverage across the entire South African coastline, strengthening nationwide marine protection.
Operations Equipment
