Inside the fight to outsmart multimillion‑rand abalone syndicates with star dog, Zeus – Rassie Erasmus (Dark-Water Ops)

The fight against abalone poaching along the Nelson Mandela Bay coastline is a growing issue that requires innovative solutions. Dark-Water Ops, with its unique approach of utilising trained dogs, has made significant strides in combating this illegal activity that involves international syndicates. Leading the pack is Zeus, a Belgian Malinois shepherd that is so good at his job that he can sniff out abalone in frozen cow offal. In this interview with BizNews, Operations Director Rassie Erasmus explains how this elite private security unit that has had successes including a massive 100-ton bust aims for prevention over pursuit to combat a lucrative illegal trade second only to sardines in value that is driven by demand from East Asian markets.