Crime Doesn't Pay ... Sometimes

Don't get caught looking for perlemoen in Durban harbour

When last in Durban (a few weeks ago) we were walking around the harbour near Victoria embankment, when a bakkie containing some of the SAPS' finest screeched to a halt, and the policemen bolted towards the sea. We had noticed the young man in the the photo, swimming slowly along, looking like he was hiding from someone. The cops eventually found their man, who had apparently been poaching or doing some kind of illegal fishing in the harbour. Moments later he was handcuffed and bundled into the bakkie, which zoomed him off towards a very different end to his day than he had imagined when he woke up.

Perlemeon is called Abalone in some places. Most others in fact. It is a very lucrative activity for poachers in South Africa, mostly organised by businessmen from the Far East who don't really care what happens to the coastline, or the fish, or the environment, as long as their restaurants can offer Abalone to their patrons.

Last week Rose and I had lunch at a favourite restaurant called SPLASHES, at the entrance to the docks in Durban harbour. It is in the old Shotblast Shed, and very close to the new harbour and waterfront developments that are changing the old port area significantly. We like the seafood there, and there is usually a ship or three that arrives or leaves. Here we see a container ship leaving Durban. The harbour pilot has taken the ship out of the dock area, and his helicopter has just arrived to hoist him up and back to his office, or the next ship. In the background is Durban Bluff.