Abalone poacher eaten by GW in south Africa !

http://photoblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/09/23/5163600-the-most-dangerous-city-in-the-world-even-for-sharks

I wouldn't throw stones Matt.  We have all done things we are sorry for at one time or another in our lives.  I feel very badly for his family.  Have a little compassion.
Dave

You are right but to continue to do it is somthing else ! I have made mistakes before such as highgrading but have learned my lession and dont do it any more.

Taking more than your yearly limit, taking undersized abs, diving out of season, ect... I call that poaching.  When I think of poaching, and what can result from it makes me think of "live by the sword die by the sword" kinda thing.  However, swimming a few miles through sharky waters to get some abs isn't poaching in my book, its surviving. I feel bad that this guy was in the position to be doing what he did to try and survive.  Poachers choose to poach, Survivors are forced to do what they have to do to survive, weather that be swimming miles through sharky waters or picking grapes in hundred degree temperatures, I dont think anyone wants to do things they have to do to survive, they are forced to.  

Flip through the internet, this aint the rich ass Mendo coast where a couple dudes, have a few beers at home and plan to poach a few Abs for a BBQ the next day, and laugh about it over a joint. These are real people trying to survive... There countless blogs on the Poaching in South Africa, the Abs are just the start, look what happens to the Rhinos, thats really sad.

Basically it comes down to gangs exploiting the poor, the poor need to EAT, so do there children, the gangs hire the poor to do there dirty work (collecting abs), then they purchase them from the poor (on dry land), to resell or to trade to the Chinese Triads in exchange for ephedrine, to make drugs to yet sell again...Its a really gnarly situation... Often times these hired Poachers are beaten or killed by other gangs before they can even sell the Abs to the gang that hired them...

This aint california poor either, this is next level, disease ridden, death on every corner poor. Dont let the tourist areas fool you. These cats dont give a crap about a few Abs when there kids are starving at home , its survival. If i was in that same situation, and my malnourished daughter was crying day and night, looking like a little bag of bones right here on the cali coast, id pick Mendo dry.. But then again I give fish to my neighbors..

I feel what your saying, as the article leaves out all the real information and just says a poacher dies... first thought for me  was "good riddance" as well... But who ever said it, had a good point, lets look at all the facts here. Now if those dudes i mentioned above, got together and had a few beers, poached some abs and laughed about it, id say "good riddance". Not in this case...

Having kids it changes your out look on life and survival if, if i ver got SO POOR and had no other options at all available to me, I would consider this in a heartbeat. Its likely not to happen as i have family and live in the states, these arent guys like us....Its just different...

BUT, i have alos read there are the rich poachers too, who set up poaching factories, use fancy diving tanks and gear, have nice boats and such, now these cats are a different story... But these guys wouldnt swim two hours, then go dive... these are the real pros, the one we all want in jail...

-------------------

Some good links:
http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/police-warn-of-poaching-war-1.484401

http://bushwarriors.wordpress.com/2010/05/25/poaching-war-may-be-imminent-warn-south-african-police/


"Le Roux said that, while gangsterism was not a major problem in the area, poaching was. He said no other conflict between gangsters and poachers had been reported there.

On Tuesday, Shaheen Moola, a fisheries management consultant with the company Feike, said the Gansbaai area was known for the "massive amounts of poaching" that took place there.

He said Chinese triads, who channelled perlemoen to Asia, were known to operate in the area and gangsters there were also known to dabble in perlemoen.

Moola said that gangs "inevitably recruited perlemoen poachers" in coastal areas including Gansbaai.

"They buy the perlemoen from the poachers and then trade with the triads," he said.

Moola said the core component of the drug tik, which was in demand in the province and sold by gangsters, was ephedrine.

"China produces ephedrine and (the gangsters) swop the perlemoen for this," he said.

Pearly Beach Ratepayers' Association chairman Dudley Coetzee said it was an open and accepted fact that poachers operated in the area.

"It takes place on a regular basis and in broad daylight ... The gangs also operate here and that's where the problems come in," he said.

Marine and Coastal Management spokeswoman Carol Moses said the fisheries branch of the Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries Department knew about the "alleged 'poacher-on-poacher' violence".

She said, aside from teams of fisheries inspectors, military veterans had also been deployed to combat poaching."

......this aint the rich ass Mendo coast......

Sorry for the threadjack here. Porky, please check the stats on per capita income in your home area, Sonoma County and the like vs Mendocino county. I believe you will find a surprise if you currently think of it as rich. Compared to other places in the world, yes, the entire US is very rich, indeed.

Well not rich but you know what im sayin

In Matts defence, i enjoy his posts and dedication to his sport. Ive learned alpt from his posts.  Ive just been recently trying to understand what these people live through. Its really crazy and i feel fortunate to be living here.

Read the full story- you may be, as I am, sorry for that fellow and his family.

Not really comparable to poaching abs in Norcal. Take a minute.

so that makes ok for him to break the law ! I dont think so ! and as for feeding his fam was he actually feeding his fam the abalone or was he selling it and then feeding his fam with the profits ? 

I'm sure poverty in South Africa is nothing like poverty here.  I don't know if you have a family Matt but I do, if there was no work and my family was starving I guarantee you the that the legality of snail take and sale wouldn't cross my mind for a second.......my family would eat and I'd sleep soundly each night. 

+1

I wouldn't throw stones Matt.  We have all done things we are sorry for at one time or another in our lives.  I feel very badly for his family.  Have a little compassion.
Dave

+1
But I thought I am compelled to throw my thoughts , I was born and raise in the Philippines happen to considered as third world country, due to governments corruptions and red tapes , hence, the people suffers, its really easy to judge when you never experienced to live in poverty, well I did, I've seen children falls a sleep from crying due to empty stomach, I've also witness them drooling watching other kids eating abundantly, I've seen a mother/father sells dignity for a plate of rice for their kids, I've seen a father kills for a can of sardine, trust me I am not exaggerating, If I come to a point that I have to choose between danger, morals and illegals for my family? Heck I wont mind robbing a bank, be a drug dealer or a manwhore, sell my organs or even my soul if I have to, I will do anything just to make sure my family will have something to get by... I feel really bad that his friends abandoned him, I guess thats why they are called friends not brothers, I dont see that happening at NCKA we are bonds of brothers and proven no one gets left behind see ADAM and DAN post when they get attack by the GWS, everyone on the paddle distance came to assist them, thats not bravery its brotherhood... thats what makes us different, just my thoughts...

I like turtles!

I like turtles!

 

I like turtles!

Thanks for that, Andy! 

I like turtles!

I would shoot them too.  

I mean, you know, if it was between my family going hungry...

I had to check the stats to see just for grins, it was worse than I thought:

Location                  Santa Cruz Co       Sonoma Co   Mendocino Co
Median Home         $377,500.00       $273,200.00   $170,200.00
Household Income   $66,495.00       $62,314.00   $43,134.00
Per Capita Income   $26,396.00       $25,724.00   $19,443.00
Below Poverty Level   13.30%        10.40%            17.70%


Source:
SCC-http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/06087.html
SC-http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/06097.html
MC-http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/06045.html

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Theres nothing cheap about santa cruz. Infact its a ripoff. I went  to north carolina and was shocked to see homes with land for 100k. Wtf?

Had a red eared slider for years, then the cat ate him. Bummed.