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  WWF 6 Feb 07
South African abalone to come under international trade controls

PlanetArk 6 Feb 07
South Africa Bids to Sate Asia's Abalone Cravings
Story by Wendell Roelf

CAPE TOWN - Shipped halfway across the world to Asia as a seafood delicacy, abalone has become a prized commodity for South African entrepreneurs as well as criminals who have poached the mollusc almost to extinction.

Known colloquially in South Africa as "perlemoen", abalone is so endangered the government has drastically reduced the total allowable catch in the wild and attempted to encourage saltwater farming of the curlicue-shaped shellfish.

Once sucked from its hard shell, abalone has a soft but chewy flesh that is consumed in a variety of ways, but mostly steamed, grilled or, for the more adventurous, as a sushi dish. Resembling a giant limpet and a distant relative of garden snails, it thrives only in oceans or special land-based farms that use seawater to cultivate the creatures.

ILLEGAL ABALONE

Abalone's growing popularity in Asia, where it is a status symbol and reputed aphrodisiac, has spurred sophisticated smuggling rings, some linked to China's notorious Triad gangs, according to South Africa's Institute of Security Studies.

The amount of illegal abalone confiscated in South Africa has skyrocketed to more than 1 million shellfish from a mere 21,000 in 1994 when the country held its first democratic elections.

It is now common for police to pull over trucks, sometimes refrigerated, carrying illegal abalone on the roads of the Western Cape and Easter Cape provinces, where most of the delicacy is harvested.

"We've had good successes, especially towards the end of last year, where we seized huge quantities of abalone ... this is just the tip of the iceberg," said Captain Billy Jones, a spokesman for the Western Cape provincial police.

But legitimate businesses also see a future in abalone farming in South Africa.

ECONOMIC VALUE

Production accounts fob 60 percent of the country's aquaculture revenues. In 2006 it was worth more than 141 million rand (US$19.7 million) and employed about 800 people.

"Abalone farming has the highest economic value as compared to all other farmed products and is the highest employer within the marine aquaculture sector," said Blessing Manale, spokesman for South Africa's department of environmental affairs.

He said the department hoped job losses in shrinking abalone fishery could be offset in the burgeoning farm-raised sector, which last year produced more than 900 tonnes of abalone and is projected to hit the 1,000 tonne mark this year. Ten years ago production was a mere 10 tonnes.

South Africa exports live and canned abalone, with its endemic Haliotis midae species fetching between US$22 and US$38 per kg on world markets. China and Japan are among the main markets.

Nick Loubser, general manager of aquaculture at I&J fishing company, said the firm was exporting up to 150 tonnes of specialty abalone a year from its facility at Danger Point Bay, about 220 km southeast of Cape Town.

The firm's abalone is fed a special diet at a land-based marine saltwater farm until ready for export. Instead of waiting 12 to 15 years for the molluscs to reach full size, the roughly 10 South African firms in the sector typically sell cocktail-sized versions that take only three to four years to grow.

NOT SO EASY

Loubser said the industry faced a number of challenges, including concerns about availability of land, conflicting legislation and problems with South African bureaucracy.

"One of the major stumbling blocks at the moment is the fact that the government hasn't declared areas for mariculture. So if you want to start a farm you have to go through a huge amount of red tape," he said.

Pierre Hugo, chairman of the Abalone Farmers Association of South Africa and managing director of Abagold, the country's largest exporter of abalone products, warned the government may be overestimating the potential of abalone farming.

"They think it's easier than it is. One of the models we have been promoting is using the existing abalone farms as a backbone for secondary aquaculture activities - such as seaweed cultivation -- around the farms," he said.

Hugo said satellite farms could also be used to accommodate emerging black farmers, who might lack the finances, technology and management expertise to start a hi-tech abalone farm.

The government is working to develop a policy and development plan for the sector, Manale said.

Poached abalone could be reduced or even wiped out, according to Manale, noting there were plans to list wild and cultured abalone as an endangered species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

"This could curb poaching," he said.

WWF 6 Feb 07
South African abalone to come under international trade controls

Cape Town, South Africa: South Africa has taken a decisive step towards stemming the illegal harvest and trade of its endemic abalone populations by listing the species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The proposed Appendix III listing, which comes into effect on 3 May 2007, requires all future international trade consignments of South African abalone (Haliotis midae)--more commonly known as perlemoen--to be accompanied by CITES documentation.

"The CITES listing has the potential to reduce illegal harvest and trade in this valuable and sought-after marine mollusc," said Markus Bürgener of TRAFFIC. "However, the listing alone is unlikely to secure results and much will depend on the support provided to customs and CITES officials in all countries through which the product is traded."

Perlemoen is one of three abalone species that can only be found in South African waters. The meat is a highly valued delicacy and considered to be an aphrodisiac in some East Asian countries. Its shells are also sought after as ash-trays, soap-holders and food receptacles.

Illegal exploitation of abalone in South Africa is believed to be the most criminalized wildlife trade in Africa today.

Continued illegal harvest and trade could result in the fishery becoming no longer commercially viable, and may cause the closure of the legal fishery and with it hundreds of jobs.

According to TRAFFIC, poaching of perlemoen has seen the legal catch be reduced from 430 tonnes in the 2002/2003 season to 125 tonnes in 2006/2007.

"We are concerned that over-harvesting is threatening the conservation status of the species and could impact on the intricate balance of associated marine reef systems," Bürgener said.

While South Africa is the only country to have listed an abalone species on CITES, he noted that many other abalone exporting countries, such as Australia and New Zealand, are also attempting to address poaching and illegal trade.

The majority of abalone harvested in South Africa is exported to East Asia, with Hong Kong the major importer. Other major destinations include Taiwan, China and Japan.

Poached abalone is frequently smuggled into the neighbouring states of Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Swaziland, from where it is exported.

Although no abalone species are either commercially harvested or legally traded through these countries, Hong Kong import data have revealed imports of dried and frozen abalone from all three countries.

Poached abalone is also traded through Namibia and this poses enforcement challenges since there are legal commercial aquaculture operations in Namibia producing and trading in perlemoen.

Despite efforts by the South African government to address the poaching problem, the international nature of the trade means that there is a need to secure the assistance of other countries.

This is most effectively achieved through the CITES listing.

"We welcome the Appendix III listing of abalone as an attempt to cut the illegal harvesting of this precious marine resource," said Dr Rob Little, WWF-South Africa's Conservation Director.

"Apart from enhancing the sustainability of the abalone stocks, it is critical that the millions of Rands lost to the illegal poaching of abalone is turned into valued foreign revenue."

END NOTES:

A CITES Appendix III is a list of species included at the request of a CITES member country that already regulates trade in the species and that needs the cooperation of other countries to prevent unsustainable or illegal exploitation. International trade in specimens of species listed in this Appendix is allowed only on presentation of the appropriate permits or certificates. CITES Parties can unilaterally list a species in Appendix III at any time. The listing would automatically enlist the necessary assistance of consumer states in monitoring and regulating the trade in abalone. Such a listing would require all consignments of the South African abalone species to carry CITES documentation and would be beneficial to both the aquacultural and wild-harvesting industries. Customs officials in countries of import would only permit consignments carrying CITES documentation to enter the country.

TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, is a joint programme of WWF, the conservation organization and IUCN - The World Conservation Union.
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