Abalone Poaching

[Lisbeth]

BLACK GOLD: A FRESH APPROACH NEEDED TO TACKLE SA'S ILLEGAL ABALONE TRADE

Shamiela Fisher | 10.05.2021

CAPE TOWN - Western Cape authorities are calling for a rethink on how to tackle the illegal abalone trade, saying piecemeal busts alone will not break the back of criminal syndicates.

The nation loses hundreds of millions of rands every year as a result of the illegal harvesting of and trade in abalone.

The Western Cape standing committee for agriculture, environmental affairs and development planning estimates that the number of people involved in the illegal abalone industry is four to five times more than those in the commercial abalone farms.

Last September, the committee visited the Overstrand region, a known hotspot for poaching activities.

“The problem is that wild stocks of abalone have been decimated along our coastline, which is now forcing poachers to become more aggressive and even enter into traditional marine reserves,” said committee chairperson Andricus van der Westhuizen.

South Africa's Environmental Fisheries and Forestry Department and law enforcement agencies agree that a collective approach achieves better results in trying to break the back of illegal abalone harvesting in the country.

The national Department of Fisheries alone confiscated over 26 tonnes of abalone, and made 149 arrests in the last financial year, but Markus Burgener from international conservation organisation Traffic said it was not even scratching the surface.

"It has been going on for more than 20 years, we have not stopped it. If anything, it has got worse in the last five years," said Burgener.

Senior researcher at UCT's Centre of Criminology Simon Howell agreed.

"I would say it's a success in the individual instances of those busts and that they have managed to get convictions, but it is also a drop in the ocean in the sense that there's a lot more out there,” said Howell.

'ADMINISTRATIVE MESS'

The fact that abalone poaching goes hand in hand with other forms of crimes exacerbates the problem.

“A lot of operations are hamstrung by regulations because abalone poaching crosses over so many governmental domains,” said Howell.

“For instance, if you look in the news, most of the busts occur either when you're drying, storing or diving for it. But between those jurisdictions, there's a lot of administrative mess.

“Ultimately I think the biggest problem is administration and the working and cooperation of government departments,” said Howell.

Whilst authorities agree that co-ordinated efforts have yielded better results, in practice that can be difficult to achieve and government's limited resources appear to be no match for the complex criminal syndicates that strip the nation's natural resources under cover of darkness.

So what are the measures that can be put in place to try to meaningfully deal a blow to abalone poaching, if any?

Van der Westhuizen said the country would have to take a new direction as busts alone were not having the desired result.

“I believe the solution would be to look at the marketing of abalone, how all abalone eventually reaches the consumer. And if we can regulate the sale of abalone in order to ensure it is only sold through recognised channels, it could be one way of first, making the police's job easier and secondly, to ensure that all abalone we provide is safe for human consumption.

“If we could control the selling or marketing of abalone so that this product is worthless in the hands of people who can't prove how they got hold of the product, then there would be no market for illegal abalone and therefore it won't become profitable and that would discourage illegal abalone taken from the sea,” said Van der Westhuizen

Poachers themselves are the bottom of the crime food chain and their activities are dangerous.

When they get caught in the act, they are often simply let off with a fine and authorities struggle to get to the people actually instructing them and paying them.

“Unfortunately, we need to decriminalise the taking of abalone from the sea, we are losing this battle,” said Van der Westhuizen. “It is just too easy for people to take abalone from the sea currently. The SAPS and environmental authorities don't have the resources in order to effectively police this. The ideal would be to have a marine guard, but with the demands currently placed on the South African fiscus, I cannot foresee that the law enforcement side would be ramped up sufficiently.”

ABALONE RANCHING

Van der Westhuizen said offering a social alternative was key and his committee was quite positive about the possibility of what's called abalone ranching and getting coastal communities involved.

“The commercial abalone growers have really perfected the process of fertilising small abalone and reproducing abalone in much bigger numbers than what they can currently grow themselves.

“So they are willing to provide the small abalone larvae for restocking abalone in the wild. What we would like to see is some abalone ranches along our coast where abalone is restocked into the sea and that those coastal communities then take care and take ownership of the abalone in their particular areas.

“We believe the abalone market is much higher than what is currently provided, so we see a huge opportunity for future economic growth and job creation for people who are willing to partake in this."

[Richprins]

A good summary.

[Richprins]

Five arrested for smuggling abalone worth more than R6m
03 August 2021 - 09:41
Iavan Pijoos Journalist

Five suspected abalone poachers were arrested in the Eastern Cape after they were found in possession of abalone worth more than R6m.

Police spokesperson Capt Yolisa Mgolodela said the first suspect was arrested in the Kinkelbos area after law enforcement agencies recovered a vehicle containing abalone.

Further investigation led police to a number of addresses in the Walmer policing area in Gqeberha where two bags of abalone were seized, Mgolodela said.

Mgolodela said officers also discovered a huge abalone storage and processing facility.

Three vehicles — a VW Caddy, Toyota Avanza and an Audi — were confiscated.

She said fish processing apparatus and R7,000 cash were also seized.

Mgolodela said the combined mass of seized abalone of 3,200kg had a street value of more than R6.1m.

Four more suspects including a woman were arrested.

TimesLIVE
https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/sout ... -than-r6m/

[Lisbeth]

At least they catch someone from time to time, but as usual, when it's too late for the abalone

[Richprins]

Illegal abalone dealer jailed and declared an undesirable person

21 August 2021 - 12:32
Philani Nombembe Journalist

An illegal abalone dealer has been declared an undesirable person in SA after his conviction on a slew of charges.

The Parow regional court in Cape Town handed Rashidi Ndulite, 45, from Tanzania, a three-year jail sentence on Friday. This followed his conviction on “landing, receiving, transporting and possession of illegally poached abalone” charges.

Hawks spokesperson Zinzi Hani said Ndulite was sentenced to an additional one-year jail term for contravening the Immigration Act. The sentences will run concurrently and he had 18 months of his sentence suspended.

Ndulite was arrested in June during a search and seizure operation by the Hawks’ serious organised crime team and the department of forestry, fisheries and the environment.

Hani said Ndulite entered into a plea and sentencing agreement with the state.

“He was also declared an undesirable person,” said Hani.

TimesLIVE

https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/sout ... e-person2/

[Lisbeth]

One less!

[Richprins]

Man arrested with abalone worth R1.2m
By TimesLIVE - 26 August 2021 - 06:19
This vehicle was stopped by police on the N2 near Caledon on Tuesday morning. The driver could not produce a permit for the abalone he was transporting and was arrested.



Image: SAPS

Police confiscated abalone worth an estimated street value of R1.2m in a vehicle on the N2 near Caledon in the Western Cape on Wednesday morning.

The driver was arrested.

"[Police] received information from a reliable source about abalone being transported on the N2 to Cape Town,” SAPS spokesperson Capt FC van Wyk said.

Officers attached to the Overberg Rural Flying Squad stopped the vehicle and found bags of abalone.

“The driver could not produce a valid licence to transport the abalone and was immediately arrested,” said Van Wyk.

The suspect is expected to appear in the Caledon magistrate's court on Thursday on charges of illegal possession of abalone and of resisting arrest.

TimesLIVE

[Lisbeth]

[Richprins]

Western Cape police seize abalone worth R2.4m after car chase
04 September 2021 - 10:47
Philani Nombembe Journalist



A driver transporting abalone abandoned his vehicle after he landed in a ditch during a police chase in the Overberg.
Image: Supplied

Western Cape police seized abalone worth R2.4m this week.

Provincial police spokesperson Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi said police officers responded to a tipoff on Thursday evening.

“Police members of the Overberg cluster were busy with crime prevention when they received information about a vehicle travelling from Buffeljags, in the direction of Stanford,” said Swartbooi.


“The members immediately operationalised their strategy and patrolled the route. When the driver of the suspicious vehicle transporting the load became aware of the presence of the police members, he tried to flee and evade an arrest.

“Eventually he lost control, which resulted in the vehicle ending up in a ditch next to the road. The suspect fled the scene on foot. A total of 6,123 units of abalone were confiscated.”

Swartbooi said police were still searching for the suspect.

TimesLIVE
https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/sout ... car-chase/

[Lisbeth]

Put on the wet suits and arrest them before they take the abalones