DAFF (Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries) has been selling confiscated abalone for huge amounts of money. This is exactly the same as game rangers getting rich by selling rhino horn! I have lodged a case (case ref. number 7/2-001847/13) with the Public Protector to stop this. Please pledge your support if you agree with this case.

As you can think, there is a clear conflict of interest here. What has happened is that DAFF has concentrated on confiscating poached (therefore dead) abalone rather than protecting live abalone.

The SCOPA report of the Auditor General in 2009 stated that DAFF is NOT doing the right things to protect our abalone, but they have not changed their approach at all and poaching is as bad as ever.

Huge amounts of money are involved. In 2010/2011 alone 590 tons of abalone worth R185 million rand was confiscated! This money has NOT been used to combat poaching. On the contrary, our abalone is in the worst state ever.

Therefore I have lodged a case with the Public Protector to put a stop to all of this and to launch an investigation to trace where all this money went. The Public Protector is still deciding whether to investigate this or not. If you think they should investigate, please pledge your support.