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The Marine and Coastal Management branch of the Department of Environmental Affairs is in a race against time to ensure that there is no disruption in fish exports from South Africa to the European Union (EU) in the new year. The EU will on 1 January 2010 institute a catch document scheme on fish imports from all around the world to improve traceability of all marine fisheries products being imported into that market. This places very heavy reporting burdens on South Africa, but at the moment South Africa is not ready to comply. The Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs must ensure that every effort is made to ensure that South Africa's lucrative fish exports to the EU are not jeopardised next year. In October the Minister responded to a Democratic Alliance (DA) parliamentary question saying that if the EU accepted the current South African export permits then there would be no cost implications, and by implication, no need for a new system. It is now clear from both industry stakeholders, and confirmed by Dr Monde Mayekiso of Marine and Coastal Management in a recent portfolio meeting, that the EU has only granted partial recognition of SA export permits. This means that at the eleventh hour South Africa is scrambling to ensure that it has the necessary systems in place. The annual export tonnage to the EU is substantial, and totaled 22 362 260kg in 2007. It is made up mostly of hake, tuna, kingklip and lobster. Many industry stakeholders prefer the institution of an electronic documentation system, as a paper system would be cumbersome and time consuming. But Dr Mayekiso confirmed to the portfolio committee that this would not be possible to institute by 1 January 2010. Marine and Coastal Management are now working on instituting a combination of paper and electronic document forms for the new year deadline. An electronic system is apparently in the pipeline for some time in the future. Dr Mayekiso did not exactly leave the portfolio committee with an impression that all was under control, nor could he give a definitive response as to whether MCM would be ready or not. He simply said that MCM was doing its best to comply. The management of MCM should never have left the resolution of this issue to so late in 2009. The Minister is well aware of the requirements of the EU catch document scheme, as she was asked about the subject, among other things, at a stakeholder forum with the fishing industry on 8 October 2009 at the Ritz Hotel in Cape Town. Clearly industry is concerned. South Africa cannot afford to have its exports to the EU disrupted. In the coming weeks the Minister must take a very direct interest in ensuring that the required systems are in order.