Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning
Question by Hon Bryant.
In relation to succulent poaching in the Western Cape:
- (a) What has been the outcome of succulent poaching investigations that have been completed by CapeNature staff and handed over to the NPA in the last three financial years, (b) how many (i) illegally harvested succulent plants have been seized by CapeNature staff in the last three financial years and (ii) plants are seized on average in each case and (c) what additional support is needed to put an end to succulent poaching;
- whether it is possible for seized plants to be salvaged and replanted; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
10(1) (a) 109 cases were handed to the NPA in the last three financial years. Of these, 57 were guilty findings, 10 cases were acquitted and 42 are still active. Fines ranged from R500 to R1 million while jail sentences ranged from 150 days to two years.
- (i) 2 076 310 illegally harvested succulent plants were seized by CapeNature staff in the last three financial years.
(ii) On average, 18 875 plants are seized in each case.
- Succulent poaching involves the illegal collection and export of succulent plants, by poachers who target rare and threatened species of plants to sell them to collectors locally or in other countries. The trend in the collection of rare and unique houseplants increased because of COVID lockdown, spurred on by social media influencers.
Most poached succulents were destined for the Chinese market although some were destined for the United States and European Union. Chinese criminal syndicates, often the very same ones that already have established smuggling routes in South Africa for illegal abalone or rhinoceros’ horns. These poachers appear to have now moved on to trafficking in succulent plants (such as the elephant’s foot which grows in the arid areas of the Succulent Karoo biome).
High levels on unemployment and poverty in the vast arid rural areas in the Western and Northern Cape, with limited economic opportunities, unintentionally drive the increase in poaching.
The National Response Strategy and Action Plan identifies “the establishment of well-managed ex situ collections; capacitating the compliance and enforcement sector to enable more effective action against illegal collection and trade; as well as, exploring options for the development of a formal economy that benefits the country and contributes to socio-economic development and conservation” as priorities for “tacking the challenges and developing the opportunities surrounding the illegal collection and trade of plants within the Succulent Karoo region.”
Enforcement capacity in the region is severely limited. Enforcement agencies, including CapeNature, are not appropriately staffed, capacitated, or equipped to deal with the scale of succulent poaching. Poaching occurs during the night and over weekends in a vast arid landscape with limited surveillance ability.
Increased capacity within enforcement agencies, to improve surveillance, specialised equipment (e.g. thermal imaging drones and expanded camera network), and overtime budgets are needed for site-based surveillance and enforcement activities. Specialist compliance and enforcement capacity for control at ports of export with the Border Management Authority and specialised training of law enforcement personnel to enhance detection of smuggled succulent plants are needed. An interprovincial response is needed since poached specimens moves between Provinces.
10 (2) As many seized plants as possible are salvaged and all seized plants are placed with SANBI - the South African National Biodiversity Institute. However, in most instances, plants cannot often be traced to the exact locality from where they were removed as poached specimens are intercepted in transit and place of origin is often unknown. Many species are habitat specialists, often with extreme restricted natural distribution ranges. There is a limited understanding of habitat requirements to enable successful replanting in the habitat. Often the habitat is also seriously damaged by illegal harvesting activities. Finally, the localities from which plants are poached, are not secure and replanted specimens would be at risk of further damage through the plants being poached again.
