This cable might actually have quite a bit of metal armour on it to protect the cable from damage. Here's a picture that came up earlier today, showing rigid metal "caterpillar" armour that goes on the outside of the cable to protect it near shorelines: https://plus.google.com/+UrsH%C3%B6lzle/posts/Gwz3TFyvCAf?pi...

I'm sure there are professional grade outfits, but many illicit metal scrappers I know are desperate and might take anything they perceive to have value.