The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment DFFE has determined the Total Allowable Catch TAC for the South African abalone fishery for the 2025/26 season at 12.01 tons.
This decision was grounded on the advice of the Abalone Scientific Working Group, which considered Catch-Per-Unit Effort CPUE indices, fishery-independent survey data, and updated estimates of illegal catches up to 2025.
The evidence was unequivocal, said the department, the abalone resource remains critically low, with densities in Zones AD at 0.020.07 abalone per m, requiring the TAC to remain at zero there and be significantly reduced in Zones EG.
"This precautionary reduction is not taken lightly. It reflects our legal and moral duty to act on the best scientific advice and to prevent the complete collapse of this resource," said Minister Dion George," Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Dr Dion George said on Tuesday.
The Minister emphasised that the TAC reduction underlines the urgent need to combat the scourge of abalone poaching, with illegal catches in 2023 exceeding 13.85 million abalone, directly undermining legal fisheries and recovery efforts.