Abalone fishery closure not the answer

[Elton]

Cape Town, South Africa, October 25-the South African government's

decision to close the commercial wild abalone fishery from 1st November

2007 is unlikely to lead to a decrease in abalone poaching, according to

TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network.

 

"Whilst the decision has been taken in good faith, the real issue

affecting the industry is the illegal harvest and trade in wild

abalone," said Markus Bürgener, Senior Programme Officer with TRAFFIC.

 

For years, high levels of illegal harvest and trade in abalone has

caused a decline in stocks and consequent annual reductions in the quota

available to legal harvesters.

 

"It's clear the South African abalone fishery is in a crisis, but a

closure should not necessarily be seen as a panacea," said Bürgener,

adding that a three-year closure of the Chilean abalone fishery in the

1990s increased abalone prices on the black market and exacerbated the

illegal fishery.

 

TRAFFIC warns that closure is only likely to succeed where comprehensive

law enforcement, research and socio-economic initiatives are put in

place and where stakeholders are directly involved in future abalone

management plans.

 

In a Statement from the South African Ministry of Environmental Affairs

and Tourism, Minister van Schalkwyk noted it was a difficult decision to

take because of its impact on the livelihoods of many people and

families in the industry.

 

"If the Minister's objective was to protect the abalone stock, then he

has made the wrong decision," commented Maria Hauck, a senior researcher

at the Environmental Evaluation Unit, University of Cape Town, who has

researched the socio-economic aspects of the abalone fishery for over a

decade. Her research results have clearly indicated the danger of

closing the fishery and the negative repercussions that could result.

 

"The Minister is alienating the legal fishermen, the very people he

should be collaborating with to develop a strategy to protect the

industry."

 

Bürgener noted that "we are encouraged to see that the Minister makes

reference to the 'up-scaling' of monitoring and control on the part of

the Department. However, we question why this is only happening with the

closure of the fishery when poaching has been the major threat to the

resource for many years."

 

Hauck voiced similar concerns pointing out that "law enforcement efforts

should be implemented to protect the fishery, and should be seen as one

strategy among many to combat the illegal abalone trade."

 

To ensure long-term sustainability of the abalone fishery, TRAFFIC

consider there is a need to develop alternative economic opportunities,

assess the possibilities for abalone re-seeding and implement joint

management decision-making strategies. All these need to be developed in

conjunction with more traditional enforcement methods implemented

through a co-ordinated approach with other government departments.

 

Notes

* TRAFFIC's work on the abalone trade in South Africa is generously

funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) of the United

Kingdom.

 

* TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, works to ensure that

trade in wild plants and animals is not a threat to the conservation of

nature. TRAFFIC is a joint programme of WWF, the conservation

organization and IUCN - The World Conservation Union. TRAFFIC in South

Africa is supported by the Green Trust, WWF South Africa, Endangered

Wildlife Trust, Mazda Wildlife Fund, Tony and Lisette Lewis Foundation,

Tiger's Eye Retail, the Mackenzie Foundation and the Joan St Leger

Family Trust.