Poached abalone reaches 283 tons

At least 283 tons of perlemoen (abalone) have been poached off South Africa's shores in the past few years.

The Cape Times reported that Fisheries Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson said 58 tons were confiscated last year, 71 tons in 2011, 54 tons in 2009, and 43 tons in 2008.

This included both wet (shucked or shelled perlemoen) and dry perlemoen.

"It is very difficult to obtain precise data on the quantity of abalone poached because illegal catches are, by their very nature, unregulated and unreported," Joemat-Pettersson was quoted as saying in a written reply to a question in Parliament.