Now that the Cape Town High Court has ruled against the South African Abalone Industry Association, which had sought to overturn government's decision to suspend fishing in the commercial abalone industry, here's hoping that the authorities will seriously beef up their efforts to combat poaching - the real cause of the problem. If they don't, then they have simply hit those who obey the law and it will have no impact on the poachers - who, as we all know, do not obey the law. More to the point, it will not save abalone stocks, which risk being harvested to extinction. It's a pity that the authorities, apparently in a genuine effort to do something have once again targeted the law-abiding... the so-called "soft targets". But then we're used to that... motorists being checked and fined while minibuses wreak mayhem... consumers threatened with penalties for excessive usage and facing a massive increase in the cost of electricity while those responsible for the mess we're in get massive bonuses. Let's see what abalone stocks are like in a year - because if the authorities don't do their job, there won't be any!


Rod Baker, Content Manager