Edited by Bev Mortimer: The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) has today announced that the total allowable catch (TAC) for SA fishing season 2025-2026 is 12.01 tons.
The SA abalone resource remains critically low with densities in Zones A–D at 0.02–0.07 abalone per m², requiring the TAC to remain at zero in those Zones, and significantly reduced in Zones E–G.
This decision was taken on the advice of the Abalone Scientific Working Group, which considered CPUE indices, fishery-independent survey data, and updated estimates of illegal catches up to 2025. The evidence was unequivocal: Stocks have continued to decline severely across most zones, with CPUE reductions of 71–77% in Zones E–G, and near-collapse densities in Zones A–D – resulting zero or limited TAC in respective Zones to safeguard the resource.
“This precautionary reduction is not taken lightly,” DFFE Minister Dion George says: “It reflects our legal and moral duty to act on the best scientific advice and to prevent the complete collapse of this resource.”
This decision complies fully with Sections 2 and 14 of the Marine Living Resources Act (MLRA) and the 2018 Western Cape High Court ruling mandating sustainable management recovery of depleted stocks.
George emphasised the TAC reduction underlines the urgent need to combat the scourge of abalone poaching, with illegal catches in 2023 exceeding 13.85 million abalone, directly undermining legal fisheries and recovery efforts. “This is why we will move to specifically list dried abalone on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES),” he said.
“Poaching syndicates thrive on the illegal international trade in dried abalone, and this listing will close critical loopholes in global enforcement.”
The result is all international trade in dried abalone will require CITES export permits, with shipments subject to strict monitoring, verification, and reporting. This will enable better tracking of trade flows, empower customs authorities worldwide to seize illegal consignments, and facilitate international cooperation to dismantle poaching networks.
“By regulating this high-value product, we aim to reduce demand for illicit abalone, protect our marine biodiversity, and support the long-term viability of coastal communities dependent on sustainable fisheries.
“We recognise the socio-economic pressures on exemption holders, but prioritising sustainability today will preserve livelihoods for generations to come. The DFFE remains committed to collaborative efforts with industry, law enforcement, and international partners to rebuild abalone stocks and secure our oceans.” George added.
St Francis Chronicle 