The trochus of King Sound are sought after by Indonesian fishers, who have a small window of opportunity to seek their bounty. The usual practice is to make their way from Indonesia to the north and to enter King Sound under the cover of darkness. The maze of mangroves and tidal ranges of 10 metres allow them to conceal their vessels during the day. Typically, the vessels used are around 10 to 15 metres with a crew of anywhere from 12 to 30. A large crew ensure a brief period of exposure when collecting the shell.
Low tide exposes the trochus for a speedy harvest, sometimes in broad daylight.
A moving frontal line of poachers edges across the reef zone, ensuring no shell of any size escapes capture. Once the fishing vessel is full to capacity or time and tide dash their efforts, the poachers make their escape. In order to go undetected, the fishers may again hide their vessel among the thick mangroves fringing any one of the myriad of islands in the Sound. When darkness approaches, the poachers motor out of the Sound to open water and run for home. The closest island in Indonesia is only 360 nautical miles to the north of King Sound.