So why is Abalone so sought after by the foreign market, especially in South Eastern Asian countries?
Well I guess as usual it all boils down to the one thing that sells : SEX.
Abalone is considered an aphrodisiac in many countries including China and many would pay an outrageous price to get access to this delicacy.
Also, people believe that it brings luck to eat them. But for a lot of people, they simply enjoy the flavour of the Abalone, which has been described to be more rich than scallops with a firm texture similar to calamari (Amy Reiley on Abalone )
In South Africa, the name abalone refers to Haliotis midae, which we call "perlemoen". This name originates from the Dutch Term Paarlemoer, translated to "Mother of Pearl". Check out some interesting abalone facts on the Two Ocean Aquarium Website
http://www.aquarium.co.za/species_exhibits/browse_species/abalone/
Abalone Poaching in Western Cape is a serious issue since it has evolved from petty poaching to highly organised crimes. It not only affects the marine ecosystem in the same way as over-fishing but it also affects the social fabric of the Cape. More often than not, money is not directly involved in Abalone poaching. Instead, chemicals for street drugs are provided in exchange for abalone units. It not only affects the economy but also the social stability of the country.
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