FWD: South Africa's Chinese Takeaway

[Guest guest]

-

<africadieu

<Africa Adieu Digest :>

Friday, 17 November, 2000 21:22

 

South Africa's Chinese Takeaway

 

The national news carried yet another item about an illegal stash

of dried perlemoen (Haliotis midae - close relative of the Californian

abalone species) destined for smuggling to Hong Kong. This sea snail with a

very broad " foot " to anchor it to the rocks, is a vegetarian living mainly

on seaweed which it traps with its 'foot " . Found in dense colonies from

Saldanha Bay up to the Transkei coast, these creatures can grow up to 200mm

in diameter. They take eight years to mature to the stage when they can

reproduce, and after another four years they may attain the " legal " minimum

size when they may be culled.

 

In recent years there have been numerous reports of perlemoen poaching and

smuggling to China and other countries of the Far East where it is in much

demand. At one time this abalone species could be found easily, and formed

an important part of the diet of coastal folk, especially poor people who

could gather this important food source freely to supplement their

otherwise meagre diets. Today long stretches of the South African

coastline are bereft of life, stripped bare by years of illegal harvesting

of all kinds of life off the rocks, and from the sea. The lives of South

African fishermen have always been hard, but now they face an uncertain

future with foreign exploitation of the country's natural sea resources,

and the imposition of quotas by local government.

 

The Chinese are notorious in South Africa for their use of poached rhino

horn for its imaginary aphrodisiac properties, while the smuggling of

poached ivory, perlemoen and similar African natural resources, has

hastened the devastation of this part of Africa. Indigenous African people

are quite happy to rob their own natural resources to the point of

extinction in order to supply foreign demand, because it is the easiest way

to make money.

 

While the main focus of endangered species has been on whales, dolphins,

perlemoen, rhino, elephant and various raptors, there are very many

lesser-known species which are also disappearing, all with negative

ecological consequences. The five conservation status categories

established by the IUCN, extinct, endangered, vulnerable, rare and

indeterminate, become almost meaningless in the uncontrolled exploitation

of resources. The wild dog, riverine rabbit and roan antelope are

" endangered " , while 14 other mammals are " vulnerable " . About 250 species

and sub-species of reptile and amphibian are unique to South Africa,

numerous species of birds are threatened, flora and butterflies are endangered.

 

South Africa is in an traditional medicine vice, one jaw of which is

African traditional medicine, and the other, Chinese and/or Far East

traditional medicine and beliefs. Among Africans plants are used not only

for their medicinal value, but also for their magical and symbolic

associations. Conservation problems are being created by the massive trade

in commercial and traditional harvesting of wild species. The former

treasure chest of African wildlife and resources has been smashed, the

contents plundered and scattered around the world. The South African

contribution to the international Chinese takeaway trade will soon come to

an end along with our so-called renewable resources.

 

Africa adieu indeed.