CITES listing for abalone could address crisis

Stock collapse decimates fishery

SOUTH AFRICA: With plans to have dried abalone listed by CITES, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment has confirmed that a proven stock collapse will only provide for a 12.01 ton Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for the 2025/26 season.

According to a statement issued by the Department, updated assessments show Catch-Per-Unit-Effort (CPUE) declines of 71–77% in Zones E–G and near zero densities in Zones A–D, with biomass now at less than 2% of pristine levels.

“This precautionary reduction is not taken lightly,” said Minister Dion George. “It reflects our legal and moral duty to act on the best scientific advice and to prevent the complete collapse of this resource.”

“This is why we will move to specifically list dried abalone on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES),” Minister George announced. “Poaching syndicates thrive on the illegal international trade in dried abalone, and this listing will close critical loopholes in global enforcement.”

Practically, this means that all international trade in dried abalone will require CITES export permits, with shipments subject to strict monitoring, verification, and reporting. It will enable better tracking of trade flows, empower customs authorities worldwide to seize illegal consignments, and facilitate international cooperation to dismantle poaching networks.

By regulating this high-value product, we aim to reduce demand for illicit abalone, protect our marine biodiversity, and support the long-term viability of coastal communities dependent on sustainable fisheries.

A TAC decision

The TAC decision was grounded on the advice of the Abalone Scientific Working Group, which considered CPUE indices, fishery-independent survey data, and updated estimates of illegal catches up to 2025. The evidence was unequivocal, the abalone resource remain critically low, with densities in Zones A–D at 0.02–0.07 abalone per m², requiring the TAC to remain at zero there and be significantly reduced in Zones E–G.

The Minister emphasised that the TAC reduction underlines the urgent need to combat the scourge of abalone poaching, with illegal catches in 2023 exceeding 13.85 million abalone, directly undermining legal fisheries and recovery efforts.

“We recognise the socio-economic pressures on exemption holders, but prioritising sustainability today will preserve livelihoods for generations to come. The DFFE remains committed to collaborative efforts with industry, law enforcement, and international partners to rebuild abalone stocks and secure our oceans,” he concluded.

Poaching continues

Last month the DFFE noted the successful disruption of a a large-scale illegal abalone poaching operation at Robben Island. Fishery Control Officers together with the other law enforcement officers intercepted a truck with dried abalone near Rawsonville in the Western Cape. The truck was transporting 13,341 dried abalone with a weight of approximately 840 kilograms with an estimated value of R5 million.

In a separate operation, law enforcement officers discovered an abalone poaching operation which involved approximately twenty divers. Despite the difficulties posed by rough terrain and the strategic concealment tactics used by the divers, enforcement teams were assisted by the SAPS drone unit managed to apprehend nine suspects and recover diving equipment and gear.

The DFFE joined the South African Police Service at Hobie Beach in Gqeberha for the Abalone Awareness and Festive Season Launch last week in an effort to strengthen public awareness and law enforcement collaboration to combat marine poaching along the Eastern Cape coastline.

PHOTO: The DFFE joined the South African Police Service at Hobie Beach in Gqeberha for the Abalone Awareness and Festive Season Launch last week in an effort to strengthen public awareness and law enforcement collaboration to combat marine poaching along the Eastern Cape coastline.

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