Niël Terblanché
More than a week after the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources announced a N$10 000 reward for information regarding the deliberate killing of Cape Cormorants near Henties Bay, no leads have emerged.
The ministry’s spokesperson, Uaripi Katjiukua, confirmed on Thursday that not a single member of the public has come forward with vital information.
“We are, however, confident that some information will be forthcoming and that we will be able to initiate a criminal investigation soon,” she said.
The incident, which occurred on 17 January at Canopy in Dorob National Park, involved a driver in a four-wheel-drive vehicle intentionally running over a flock of Cape Cormorants (Phalacrocorax capensis) as they roosted on the beach.
Eyewitnesses to the aftermath of the incident reported that a vehicle sped into the birds, leaving dozens dead, critically injured, or maimed.
Cormorants, known for their slow take-off when taking flight, were seemingly unable to escape the oncoming vehicle, which appeared to have intentionally targeted the flock.
Numerous birds were left suffering severe injuries while others lay dead on the ground.
The person who reported the incident described the act as “senseless and deeply troubling.”
Katjiukua reiterated the severity of the crime, noting that Cape Cormorants are an endangered species inhabiting the coastal and inshore waters of Namibia and South Africa.
“In Namibia, the species has declined by 57% during the last three decades,” she said, referencing research by Crawford et al. from 2007.
She added that this species requires effective and concerted monitoring and conservation action.
According to Katjiukua, the fisheries ministry has undertaken to collaborate with other law enforcement agencies to ensure the perpetrator is prosecuted to the full extent of Namibian laws.
She said the reward is still redeemable for information leading to the successful arrest and prosecution of the suspect(s).
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the ministry’s tip line at +264 81 281 8106.
In addition to human-induced threats and deaths, Cape Cormorants have faced significant challenges from disease outbreaks.
In January 2022, a highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak was confirmed in Namibia, resulting in an untold number of dead wild birds, mainly Cape Cormorants.
The outbreak caused considerable mortality among these birds.
Katjiukua repeated the fisheries ministry’s appeal to the public for assistance in bringing the latest perpetrator to justice and safeguarding Namibia’s endangered wildlife.
