Perlemoen Poaching: Perlemoen poaching expected to surge before Chinese New Year

Last week, police in Nelson Mandela Bay recovered more than R300,000 worth of illegal perlemoen in a single operation at a flat in Algoa Park.Every year, as the festive season draws near, concerns mount that the illicit trade in the protected shellfish will escalate as black market players also need to work on their Christmas bonuses.While this may hold some truth, and poachers will make use of the favourable summer weather to ply their trade and boost their income, private anti-poaching operatives in the Bay are more concerned about the weeks following South Africa’s festive season.They anticipate perlemoen demand to boom leading up to mid-February, when Chinese New Year celebrations begin. “The majority of the illicit perlemoen poached from reefs around Nelson Mandela Bay is destined for Asia, and historically big celebrations, like the Chinese New Year, raise the demand for delicacies like perlemoen,” said Dark Water Ops operations manager Dave Knoop.Police in Gqeberha recovered more than R300,000 worth of illegal perlemoen last week. (Photo: Supplied / SAPS) Private security firm Dark Water Ops operates one of Nelson Mandela Bay’s leading private anti-poaching units, working closely with law enforcement agencies in the fight against illegal perlemoen harvesting.Their operations focus mainly around a stretch of coastline where they are contracted to keep a close eye on private perlemoen cultivation, where Knoop said the reefs have nearly been swept clean.“In recent weeks we’ve seen a decline in activity around our area of operations. A few months ago we still received reports of teams of 30 to 50 divers hitting the reefs at a time. It seems like those numbers have come down, but only because they have moved their operations to other parts of the Nelson Mandela Bay coastline.“Despite the decrease in activity in our area, the black market is still operating unabated.”This is not the first time Dark Water Ops has reported large-scale activity along the Bay coastline. In January, Daily Maverick reported that the firm had recovered 5,200 illegally harvested perlemoen in December 2025 alone, with another 400-plus recovered during the first week of January.Knoop said their teams had recovered between 700 and 1,000 units of illegally harvested perlemoen in their area in recent weeks. Near Noordhoek they found four large bags hidden near the rocky beach, and near the coastal village of Schoenmakerskop they found another three hidden bags.However, indications are that the bulk of illicit activity has moved further along the coastline, targeting reefs near Bushy Park, as well as further off the coastline closer to the protected shores of Bird Island.“In recent weeks there have been several days when sea conditions were not favourable for poachers. But every good weather day we have from here on, heading into December and into the first few weeks of next year, we anticipate a lot of activity,” Knoop said.Last week, perlemoen believed to have originated from the coastline along Marine Drive, on the outskirts of the affluent Gqeberha suburb of Summerstrand, was traced to a block of flats on the opposite end of the city, in Algoa Park.R365,500 haul highlights scale of trade Police spokesperson Captain Sandra Janse van Rensburg said members of the police’s K9 Unit and Flying Squad conducted a joint operation on 3 November that led them to Aloes Flats in Kamdebo Street.“Shortly before midnight, members pursued a VW Polo that was spotted travelling at high speed. They followed the vehicle to the parking lot of the Aloes Flats where they conducted a search of the vehicle and discovered several bags of perlemoen on the back seat.”It was later confirmed that the police seized 1,935 units of illegal perlemoen, weighing a total of 207kg. Janse van Rensburg said the estimated value was upwards of R365,500.Along with the perlemoen and vehicle, the police also confiscated a scale and shucking tools used to remove perlemoen from the rocks and reefs where they live.A 21-year-old man was arrested and charged with the illegal possession and transport of perlemoen, in terms of the Marine Living Resources Act.Police in Gqeberha recovered about R365,500 worth of illegal perlemoen and arrested a 21-year-old suspect last week. Private security staff say the demand is likely to increase in the coming months. (Photo: Supplied / SAPS) Knoop said this was one of the more significant busts in recent months, but believed poaching activity will steadily increase in the coming weeks as local suppliers prepared for increased demand from Asian markets.The scale of the trade extends far beyond individual police seizures. In a September 2025 investigation, Daily Maverick reported that Dark Water Ops estimated the illegal perlemoen trade along the Nelson Mandela Bay coastline was worth approximately R1.2-billion annually. In 2024, the firm said it had recovered more than 64,000 units of wet perlemoen, valued at R56.2-million.He said that unlike other categories of crime that tended to spike around the festive season, the perlemoen trends tended to coincide with the major holidays of the destination markets.“China is one of the biggest markets, and few events are bigger than Chinese New Year. For now, we believe black market demand will remain steady, but we anticipate sharp increases around February,” Knoop said. DM