SA's lost 96 million abalone to poaching since 2000 - new report
19 September 2018
Poachers have taken at least 96 million units of South Africa's abalone in the past 17 years, leaving the future of the snail-like sea delicacy in danger of becoming extinct, according to international wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC (see here - PDF).
"Efforts to curb the illegal trade have roundly failed. Once abundant, the population of South African abalone Haliotis midae is declining to unprecedented levels," warned TRAFFIC in the report titled: Empty Shells: An assessment of abalone poaching and trade from southern Africa.
"The rampant illegal harvesting of abalone has resulted in the loss of a valuable commodity worth approximately R628m per annum," said the report.
Researchers believe the only way to protect the species from going extinct, and not lose the income legally fished abalone generates, is international collaboration to regulate its trade.