Overview

• South African abalone, a fist-sized sea snail, is a highly prized dish in East Asia, leading to a trail of destruction in South African fishing communities.
• Over the last three decades, poachers have reduced the endangered South African abalone to unprecedented low levels.
• The South African government initially banned abalone fishing completely, but now strict quotas allow small operators to catch 120 kilograms a year.
• A 2022 report estimated the illegal trade of South African abalone to Hong Kong was worth nearly $1 billion between 2000 and 2016, and is still growing.
• Organized crime and turf battles over illegal abalone have overwhelmed South African coastal communities, drawing in thousands of poor young men as foot soldiers.