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Minister Senzeni Zokwana met with Fishing Community Leaders from the various communities from the Western Cape including Hangberg, at his Cape Town office earlier today. The meeting was held in response to a memorandum handed over on Monday 11 September 2017; to the Fisheries Branch in Foretrust Building, Cape Town.

One of the demands in the memorandum was to meet with the Minister within 7 days of handing over the memorandum.

The meeting discussed various issues that Fishing Community Leaders raised with the Minister, amongst those issues were the following:
•  Slow progress with respect to transformation in the fisheries sector;
•  Communication between the Department and the affected communities;
•  Update on the “fish basket” allocated for Small scale fishermen; and
•  Demarcation in the near shore, offshore and small scale fisheries

The meeting agreed on peaceful and constructive dialogue and further agreed to establish working committees to address all issues raised on behalf of fishing communities. The meeting clarified issues that needed urgent attention, and issues that needed regular interaction between the Department and the Fishing Community Leaders.

It was recognised by all affected that there are immediate concerns that need urgent attention. To this effect a meeting comprised of the Fishing Community Leaders is to meet with the Deputy Director General of the Fisheries Branch, Ms Siphokazi Ndudane on Monday 18 September 2017 at 2pm. The issues to be discussed are:

•  The recommendation to cut Total Allowable Catch (TAC) /Total Allowable Effort (TAE) of the West Coast Rock Lobster (WCRL);
•   Addressing the allocation of fish  for small scale fisheries in the interim prior to 2010 Fishing Rights Allocation Process (FRAP) and
•  Proposal to suspend allocations on WCRL and Abalone for current FRAP period.

Furthermore the meeting identified work streams to address the following:
•  Communication;
•  Linefish;
•  Alternative Livelihood;
•  Transformation; and
•   Training and Development

The meeting also agreed that investigations of cases wherein communities have been robbed of their fishing rights by big companies- deals like Foodcorp must be done as a matter of urgency.

The Minister has committed to publish a notification calling for nominations for the establishment of the Fisheries Transformation Council (FTC) by end September 2017. The FTC will look comprehensively at transformation issues to ensure meaningful participation by all in our society.

Issued by Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries