Browsing by Author "Froneman, Pierre"

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    An updated analysis of abalone poaching in South Africa
    (2026) Psillos, Natalie; Froneman, Pierre
    Building on previous research conducted by TRAFFIC, over the period 2000 to 2016, this study provides an updated analysis of abalone (Haliotis midae) poaching and illegal trade in South Africa from 2016 to 2023. Using quantitative trade data and qualitative stakeholder data provided by interviews, the current study assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, shifts in enforcement priorities and changes in market demand on the illegal trade of abalone in South Africa. Key findings show that from 2017 to 2023, an estimated 78.5 million individual abalone were illegally harvested, with 16.9 million individuals poached in 2018 alone. Persistent discrepancy between legal production and global imports were noted, with around ≈ 66% of traded abalone likely originating from illegal sources in 2023. Legally harvested abalone generally accounted for < 6% of the total harvest, while an overwhelming 94% emanates from estimated poached abalone. Interviews with stakeholders revealed that poaching activities have expanded into new geographic areas, particularly the Eastern Cape, with a shift towards harvesting undersized specimens. Of the total abalone exported to Hong Kong between 2017 and 2023, 38% originated from non-abalone producing countries in sub-Saharan Africa including Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. While the national lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic did result in a reduction in the extent of illegal harvesting of abalone, levels of poaching rapidly returned to pre-COVID levels. The estimated annual poached abalone biomass from 2017 to 2023 was 3798 tonnes with an estimated at a value of USD 324 million. The total monetary value of the poached abalone from 2000 to 2023 was estimated at USD 1,2 billion. The responses from a variety of stakeholders highlighted the complex interplay of socio-economic factors (poverty and unemployment), organised crime syndicates and governance issues such as corruption, lack of capacity and resources which facilitate the abalone crisis. This study provides critical insights to inform future conservation efforts and policy decision. Furthermore, through information gathered from stakeholder interviews, there is a recurring emphasis on the need for more effective, multipronged and coordinated responses to combat the illegal wildlife trade and address the persistent issue driving abalone poaching in South Africa.
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    Open Access
    Decadal shifts in macrobenthic community structure in a permanently open freshwater-deprived Eastern Cape Estuary
    (2026) Limbada, Zahrah; Froneman, Pierre
    The decadal shifts in the macrobenthic community structure in the permanently open, freshwater-deprived Kariega Estuary along the southeastern coastline of South Africa were investigated between 2010 and 2022. The macrobenthic community structure was investigated at six stations in four distinct ecological zones: Zone I was made up of Zostera capensis, Zone II was made up of mud, Zone III was made up of Spartina maritima, and Zone IV was made up of Sarcocornia perrenis along the length of the estuary. The average abundance and biomass of macrobenthic organisms during the 2010 survey ranged from 16 to 504 ind/m2 and from 0.03 to 245 g wwt/m2, respectively. In 2022, the average abundance of macrobenthic organisms ranged from 6 to 216 ind/m2. The average macrobenthos biomass was 2.60 to 93.40 g wwt/m2. There were no significant differences in the estimates of the total macrobenthic abundance and biomass between the two surveys or the different ecological zones (P > 0.05 in all cases). Site-specific differences were, however, evident. During both surveys, the highest abundance and biomass values were recorded in the middle reach, corresponding to the region with the highest biomass of submerged macrophytes. Multidimensional scaling revealed a high degree of overlap in the macrobenthic community compositi on between the two surveys. The absence of any significant spatial or temporal patterns in the microbenthic community structure along the length of the estuary can likely be related to the reduced freshwater inflow into the estuary, creating a homogenous marine-dominated system. Closer inspection of the macrobenthic community structure, however, revealed that there have been species-specific declines in the abundance of several species routinely collected for bait by subsistence fishers, including the mud prawn (Upogebia africana), pencil bait (Solen cylindraceus) and redworm (Marphysa sanguina). The decline of these species suggests increased exploitation of estuarine resources over the past decade, most likely in response to high levels of unemployment and poverty.