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• Over 2.5 million succulents have been seized by authorities in the Western Cape since 2018.
• The actual number of poached plants is likely much higher, with estimates suggesting less than one quarter of the total illicit trade.
• Local harvesters are often poor individuals from rural communities who cite unemployment as a driver of poaching.
• Several Conophytum species and subspecies are already extinct in the wild, while many more are at risk of extinction due to poaching.

If we lose these species, we lose them forever,

In a major crackdown on succulent poaching, authorities in the Western Cape have seized over 2.5 million illegally harvested plants since 2018. However, this number is likely only a fraction of the total illicit trade, with CapeNature estimating that it accounts for less than one quarter of the actual numbers poached. The majority of these seizures took place in the Western Cape, where policing and informer networks are more active compared to the Northern Cape, which faces significant capacity constraints. According to TRAFFIC's fieldwork, local harvesters are often poor individuals from rural communities who cite unemployment as a driver of poaching. They earn between R10 and R150 per plant, with some making over R10,000 in just five days.

The scale of the problem is staggering, with flora crime now making up more than half of CapeNature's crime investigations. Several Conophytum species and subspecies are already extinct in the wild, while many more are at risk of extinction due to poaching. Early poachers focused on Conophytum species, but syndicates have diversified into other endemic plants such as Euphorbia or Gibbaeum. To combat this, CapeNature's Deon Hignett recommended strengthening enforcement, improving storage for seized plants to ensure their survival, and providing biodiversity crime training for SAPS, prosecutors, and magistrates.

The poaching of succulents is not only an environmental crisis but also a socio-ecological one, tying together biodiversity, rural poverty, and organized crime. If left unchecked, it could lead to the permanent loss of these unique species. To address this issue, experts recommend offering sustainable alternatives to local harvesters and strengthening enforcement efforts. In the short term, reviving a specialized environmental court, such as the 'green court', which was previously used to prosecute abalone cases, may also be necessary to effectively combat biodiversity crimes.

Lawyers and compliance officers should watch for the potential for increased enforcement action against succulent poachers, including the possible revival of a specialized environmental court to prosecute biodiversity crimes.

Source: Original reporting via AllAfrica SA