Divers who poached for a Gansbaai abalone syndicate earned an average of R24 000, but could earn up to R84 000 for a single diving excursion.
|||Cape Town - Divers who poached for the abalone syndicate appearing before the Western Cape High Court earned an average of R24 000, but could earn up to R84 000 for a single diving excursion.
Poachers Jan de Waal and Regard Brooderyk testified they earned an average of R300 per kilogram. Brooderyk said he earned about R30 000 per night as a diver.
Poacher Barend van Vuuren testified he was paid R350 a kg while De Waal also said the price was R350 per kg at one stage. A diving group would take out a minimum of 300kg of perlemoen a night, said Van Vuuren.
De Waal said he hit the “jackpot” at the Betty’s Bay Nature Reserve when he poached 280kg of abalone.
That would have earned him R84 000 at R300 per kg.
He normally poached about 80kg per trip, the witness testified, which earned him R24 000.
The least he would poach was 20kg for which he received R6 000. De Waal estimated the syndicate consisted of up to 700 members.
The father of three was a diesel mechanic who testified he joined the syndicate after working himself to a standstill for little money while young poachers were earning “60 times more than me”.
After injuring his back while diving, he started transporting abalone, earning about R10 000 for a return trip to Joburg.
Brooderyk told the court he started transporting abalone in 2008 and got paid R5 000 for a trip up to Joburg.
According to police, wet abalone is sold on the black market for R1 000 per kg and dried abalone for R3 000 per kg.
The abalone is smuggled to China, where it’s a sought-after delicacy and viewed as an aphrodisiac and sign of wealth.
De Waal testified the alleged leader of the syndicate, Frank Barends, bought a farm for R200 000 in Groblersdal in Limpopo to turn into an abalone drying plant.
The court also heard that a Gansbaai supermarket closed down when the syndicate was arrested and the cash dried up.
henriette.geldenhuys@inl.co.za
Weekend Argus