A man was arrested for skinning a dead seal.
A Cape Town man caught skinning a dead seal was arrested on Thursday.
City of Cape Town Law Enforcement Marine and Environmental Unit officers responded to a tip-off about the man seen harvesting a seal on the beach along Baden Powell Drive close to Strandfontein Pavilion.
Law enforcement spokesperson Wayne Dyason said Animal Control Unit members caught the 38-year-old man “after he had just cut up” a Cape fur seal.
“The suspect also confirmed a thriving black market for seal meat,” Dyason added.
Police said the SPCA collected the remains of the seal for further tests while the man was detained at Strandfontein police station.
“A case docket for carrying out a restricted activity without a permit and contravening the National Environment Management Biodiversity Act was opened for further investigation,” said police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Malcolm Pojie.
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