Online Trade in high-value marine products from South Africa

Luxury seafood products sourced in South Africa are predominantly exported to consumers in east and southeast Asia.

Many of the species involved are CITES-listed – protected under international trade regulations – and are associated with either social status or traditional medicinal beliefs in consumer markets such as Viet Nam and China, and mostly consumed for food as rare delicacies.

The combination of poor fisheries management, online anonymity, and lax monitoring of online adverts can facilitate the illegal trade in protected species.

TRAFFIC’s investigations in South Africa found adverts on major online retailers such as 21Food and Alibaba that seemingly lacked the required documentation for the species for sale.

Further investigation into businesses posting marine products online is essential if we are to curb this potential trend of illegal online trade in protected marine species.”

Oliver Wright, TRAFFIC Southern Africa project officer and author of the reportThe illegal trade in shark fins and abalone from South Africa is well documented, and persists despite numerous interventions from law enforcement. Abalone fisheries have all but collapsed in South Africa, with control of wild caught South African abalone in the hands of ruthless criminal syndicates.

The rising popularity and ease of online trade in the region poses another major threat to already-threatened marine populations.

Online trade is difficult to investigate given proof of sale is harder to establish.

Laws relating to e-commerce rarely prohibit the advertising of illegal wildlife and more often apply only to actual sales, which are more challenging to uncover if transactions are arranged through private messaging.

The Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online is a network of digital and social media platforms that are fighting back against illegal wildlife trade.

Engagement with the Coalition is paramount for online businesses hoping to stamp out the exploitation of their platforms by wildlife traffickers.

If marine populations are to be protected, a crackdown on all and any mechanisms used by illegal traders is essential.

Law enforcement protocols that mandate local businesses to display the required CITES permits on any wildlife advert would further combat illegal sales and reduce the ease with which traffickers can currently sell their illegal products.