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Nine years down the line, small-scale fishers are angry and unhappy about the constant mismanagement of the Interim Relief System.

Coastal Links South Africa, representing 4 000 small-scale fishers countrywide will embark on determined action this week to address the deliberate discrepancies in the Interim Relief system that is having a devastating impact on fishing communities. Details of the action will be made available tomorrow (Thursday).

Persistent faults in the Interim Relief system are denying thousands of people in Small-scale fishing communities across the Western and Northern Cape their livelihood rights.

The late issuing of permits, the inclusion of non-fishers in beneficiary lists and general mismanagement by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) is causing havoc and confusion in communities.

There are persistent allegations of corruption in the allocation process.

In 2005 the government adopted long-term fishing policies that made no provision for small-scale fishers. Masifundise took the matter to the Equality Court and by 2007 the court ruled that a new policy must be developed and an interim relief package for small-scale fishers be formulated and implemented. The Interim Relief Permit system was meant to provide temporary relief to fishers who did not benefit from Long Term Rights.

Interim Relief arrangements, which began in 2007, were meant to be in place for only one year but instead it is in its ninth year. The Small-scale fisheries (SSF) policy was only finally adopted in 2012 and the Marine Living Resources Act this year – opening the way for the implementation of the SSF policy. Yet, implementation has not yet proceeded. Meanwhile the IR system continues – and so do the inefficiencies, mismanagement and general dysfunctionality.

Furthermore, women who are meant to benefit from this process are being denied basic rights while government purports to be opposing women abuse. People do not know what to expect from our government.

Issued by Coastal Links South Africa and Masifundise Development Trust