Society - Abalone: A Deadly Harvest

A documentary based on perlemoen poaching in the Cape Town coastal areas of South Africa. Abalone - a delicacy and aphrodisiac in China, is illegally harvested in South Africa and smuggled to the East. It has become a one-billion dollar industry with direct links to organized crime and Chinese Triads. In this weeks Special Assignment we expose the world of these well organized syndicates who operate along our costal shores - but the actual harvesters are from poor or working class communities who risk everything working for the kingpins and international traders in faraway countries. They also leave behind them the devastating destruction of the environment. The abalone is exchanged for the chemicals used in the production of street drugs. No money exchanges hands. It is an exchange that is destroying the social fabric of South African society.