Poaching of marine living resources : can the tide be turned?

• Author: Hendrik Van As
• DOI: 10.17159/2413-3108/2020/v0n69a8351
• Pages: 23-34
• Published date: 01 September 2020
• Date: 01 September 2020
• Published By: Institute for Security Studies (ISS)

2 – 23

SA CRIME QUARTERLY NO. 69 • 2020

Poaching of marine

living resources

Can the tide be turned?

South African

Certain marine living resources of South Africa are under severe threat from international organised

crime syndicates in conjunction with local f‌ishers. These criminal activities erode respect for

the rule of law and lead to socio-economic degradation and the proliferation of gangsterism.

The current government approach as custodians of the resources is to maximise the return

from conf‌iscations. SAPS are not using the full power of the law to address poaching of marine

living resources, particularly abalone, as a priority crime and do not allocate their resources

commensurate with the value of the commodity. As a country that is beleaguered by f‌isheries

crime, overf‌ishing and exploitation, South Africa must take a tough stance and should pursue

criminal organisations with all the power that the state can muster. It must also ensure that

national f‌isheries resource management is improved so that local communities can benef‌it. The

implementation of a conforming strategy would be socially and politically unpopular, but the future

benef‌its will outweigh the outlay.

CR I ME QUA RT E R LY

Hendrik van As1

hennie.vanas@mandela.ac.za

http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2413-3108/2020/v0n69a8351

No. 69 | 2020

Introduction

Two of South Africa’s high-value marine living

resources, abalone (Haliotis midae) and West

Coast rock lobster (Jasus lalandii) are under

threat of illegal harvesting and trade by organised

criminal syndicates.2 In Paternoster, a village

on the West Coast, visitors are overwhelmed

by the audacity with which illegally harvested

lobsters are offered for sale.3 Elandsbaai, north

of Paternoster, is a well-known ‘hotspot’ for

the smuggling of these crustaceans.4 Further

to the south and east, abalone poachers enter