THE navy has started investigating a fleet of at least 28 Chinese trawlers allegedly operating illegally off the Wild Coast.Anglers with smartphones and ship-tracking apps have become the mouth of public outrage over the arrival of the Lu Huang Yuan Yu fleet.A Facebook post on Salt Fishing SA by Mark Hicks, which first blew the whistle on the Chinese vessels switching off their AIM monitoring beacons at night while off the Wild Coast, was shared 6,215 times by noon on Friday.Navy spokesman Capt Zamo Sithole said on Friday: "The South African Navy has recently conducted operations in the Port Shepstone to Mazeppa Bay area, specifically to address illegal activities in this area."He added: "The South African Navy condemns any violation of the South African law at sea."However, he cautioned: "The South African Navy does not have a jurisdiction over illegal fishing within the exclusive economic zone. This is the responsibility of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Th...
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