20 June 1997
The Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Dr Z. Pallo Jordan, ushered in a new era for the South African fishing industry when the Marine Fisheries White Paper was tabled in parliament today.
The White Paper, which prescribes a fundamental restructuring of the South African fishing industry is based on the recommendations of the Fisheries Policy Development Committee which was compiled after 18 months of consultation among members of the fishing industry, government and other interest groups. It has taken a further year to bring the White Paper to fruition.
The controversial issue of access to South Africa's living marine resources forms the crux of the document, which sets out the main policy principles that the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEA&T) will endeavour to implement through its marine fisheries management institutions.
The White Paper advocates a system whereby fishers will be invited to bid for and so obtain real, long-term rights to catch so-called quota species like hake, rock lobster and abalone. These rights will be transferable and inheritable, and attempts will be made to extend such rights to species which are not managed by a quota system; squid and linefish, for instance.
As an interim measure, a Commercial Public Company will rent quotas to those previously denied access to fishing rights. The Quota Board will be phased out.
The state will be the sole shareholder in the public company which will be governed by the provisions of the Companies Act.
The company's main purpose will be to allow small-scale fishing operators, with some capacity, to catch fish on a commercial basis.
The new fisheries policy will favour small to medium-sized enterprises and, in some cases, less sophisticated or more affordable fishing methods. The new access scheme will also provide incentives to major fishing corporations to restructure their ownership and achieve empowerment objectives, so permitting them to enter the bidding process on realistic terms during the first phase of restructuring.
The White Paper suggests numerous ways in which large fishing companies can help to achieve empowerment objectives, among them are expanding equity ownership in companies, unbundling, mergers and the formation of co-operatives and other forms of formal co-operation.
Restructuring will take place as soon as possible in order to reduce uncertainty and to enable the fishing industry to maintain and strengthen its international competitiveness. Phase one of the restructuring programme which will be implemented immediately, will entail the establishment of a Commercial Public Company and an Implementation Committee. Phase two will embrace the bidding process for the long term rights. The new Sea Fisheries Act, already in the draft phase, may be enacted by the end of the year.
Another key element of the new Marine Fisheries Policy is the issue of regional versus national jurisdiction over marine resources. In general, marine fisheries will remain under national administration and control, because these are national resources belonging to the nation as a whole.
The status of an estimated 750 000 recreational fishers, who are currently barred from selling their catches, will not change. The White Paper does, however, make allowance for "subsistence users" of marine resources, who have traditionally made use of inshore resources as a source of food. The new policy will allow subsistence fishers to sell that part of their catch that they do not consume, provided that the fisher is a member of a coastal community, the surplus is sold locally and, at any given time, no more than the daily bag limit is caught.
Minister Jordan and top Sea Fisheries management will be hosting a series of public meetings and workshops in fishing communities to discuss the implications of the new Sea Fisheries policy. Minister Jordan will address a public meeting in Cape Town on July 5th and will attend similar meetings in Port Elizabeth, Durban and Port Nolloth.
Fishing communities are invited to contact the Chief Directorate of Sea Fisheries if they would like a delegation from Sea Fisheries to address their questions about the White Paper.
The White Paper is available in the four coastal languages, namely English, Afrikaans, Xhosa and Zulu, from the Chief Directorate of Sea Fisheries.
Enquiries about the public meetings and requests for copies of the White Paper may be directed to Claire Ward or Melleney Majavie at the Chief Directorate of Sea Fisheries, by telephoning (021) 402-3043.
For more information contact The Sea Fisheries Communication Office: Claire Ward - (021) 402-3025
Or
Minister Jordan's Public Relations Office: Cassandra Gabriel - (021) 457240 / 082 573-4168
Issued b:y The Ministry of Environmental Affairs and Tourism