Hunter fined R50 000 for trafficking game
2012-10-04 20:57
Pietermaritzburg - A former professional hunter was fined R50 000 by the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court on Thursday for nine offences involving protected game.
Gerald Conway, 32, pleaded guilty to trafficking a lioness to be hunted and crocodiles. He also trafficked 10 blue duiker, and an antelope.
He would be allowed to pay the fine in instalments of R10 000.
In his guilty plea, Conway said that as a professional hunter and game capturer he had been frustrated with the late issuing of licences and permits by Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife.
This caused him to flout the law, although he said he had followed the regulations in the past and had previously received many valid permits.
Conway was fined R20 000 or a year's imprisonment, half of which was suspended, for trafficking the 10 blue duiker into KwaZulu-Natal from the Eastern Cape and illegally keeping them and allowing them to be hunted near Vryheid.
He was also fined R40 000, or two years' jail, R25 000 suspended, for trafficking a lioness from the Free State for hunting.
A R5 000 fine was issued, and suspended, for importing two crocodiles from Gauteng and keeping them in captivity without a licence.
He was fined R10 000 fine for the killing of one of the crocodiles.
Conway also pleaded guilty to handling a leopard, which was believed to have been illegally hunted, and was fined R40 000, of which R25 000 was suspended.
Crocodiles, blue duiker, leopard and lion are protected species in South Africa.
- SAPA
