Succulent poaching 'out of control'

The illegal trade of wild succulents, particularly Conophytum species, has left some on the brink of extinction. Glenneis Kriel reports on the situation and what farmers can do to help.

- Glenneis Kriel

Succulent poaching is not a new problem in South Africa; collectors have been stealing our unique plants for decades. However, the scale of the trade in South Africa’s succulent plants is now unprecedented.

It was believed that COVID-19 travel restrictions would lead to a decrease in plant poaching, at least for a while. However, the World Wide Fund for Nature South Africa (WWF SA), and the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), have confirmed that the restrictions had the opposite effect.

Paul Gildenhuys, an enforcement specialist at Cape Nature, explains that sophisticated hobbyists used to be the prime perpetrators in the past. They usually came to South Africa, gathered the plants and then smuggled them out when they flew out of the country.

Since 2019, however, the trade has become syndicate-driven, with the same organisations involved in rhino, abalone and ivory poaching.

“Syndicates pounced on this opportunity by using their existing networks to satisfy the demand, when collectors were unable to travel internationally,” says Gildenhuys. “Poor locals are mobilised to collect succulents at a pittance of what the end user pays, and instead of the poachers smuggling the succulents out of the country in their luggage, the plants are couriered overseas.”

China is the primary destination of poached succulents. Gildenhuys attributed this to the growth of the Chinese middle and upper classes, in combination with social media posts that generate a greater awareness of these plants and their unusual nature.