About a year ago, almost to the day, we reported about a can of South African abalone (known in SA as perlemoen) that was selling at a local Park ‘n Shop for a whopping HK $423.70 a can. The picture on the right tells that tale.
This past week, on a weekly shopping trip to the Japanese Justco outlet in Whampoa Garden (Hung Hom) we noticed this whole, frozen abalone going for an amazing HK $563.20 each! We had to do a double take because initially we thought that it read HK $563.20 per kilogram. Alas, it selling at that price each.
If the South African abalone stock wasn’t on the brink of extinction, I’d move back to the Western Cape in a flash to become an abalone farmer…
The seafood refrigerator at Justco, Whampoa Garden (Pic. Mike Jansen)
Marine ‘Gold’ Abalone going for HK $ 563.20 each (Pic: Mike Jansen)
I am always bemused when I tell Chinese people that I am from South Africa and getting the response: “Ah… diamonds!” or “Ah… gold!”
I sometimes wonder, when the locals enjoy (South African) abalone at their banquets, if they know about the destruction to our marine resources brought about by the mindless poaching taking place along the South African coasts?
However, when I see prices like these below, I understand (in part) why poaching is such a huge part of the livelihood of the poor fisherfolk along the shores of the Western Cape.
I wonder what the folks at Chow Tai Fook will make of the following diamond ad?
