2 January 2001
"Government is committed to ensuring sustainability of marine resources and equitable access"
Emergency measures aimed at rebuilding the stock of linefish due to the collapse of this resource will be announced shortly, the Deputy Director-General of Marine and Coastal Management of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Mr Horst Kleinschmidt announced today.
On 29 December 2000 the Government Gazette (No 4727 of 2000) published a notice by the Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism in terms of the Marine Living Resources Act that an emergency in linefish sector, excluding tuna and hake, had occurred.
Technical information on the restrictions on the total allowable effort by commercial fishing was published and is attached to this statement. Restrictions on bag limits for recreational fishers and subsistence fishers will be announced in the first quarter of this year.
Over half a million people participate in linefishing in South Africa using hook and line to target approximately 40 different key fish species for recreation or for commercial gain. Surveys and stock assessments demonstrate that at least 20 key linefish are dangerously over-exploited.
Some of the better-known and sought-after linefish which are under serious threat, include:
The list is preliminary and may increase as further scientific data becomes available. The main reasons for stock depletion are a combination of slow growth, long life spans and high fishing effort from both recreational and commercial fishers. The substantial decline in stock abundance has necessitated stricter control measures and a change in linefish management policy.
Government is committed to ensuring sustainability of marine resources and equitable access. The ultimate goal of this recovery programme is healthy stocks and larger catches while at the same time promoting the sustainable utilisation of our marine living resources.
To protect vulnerable stocks of linefish from further depletion the Minister will promulgate regulations during the first quarter of 2001 which will address the commercial, recreational and subsistence exploitation of linefishes.
The measures will certainly include reductions in the recreational bag limits for several species, commercial bags for some, and a substantial reduction in the number of commercial participants. Bag limits for subsistence fishers are still in the process of being established, to be applicable in those regions where subsistence line fishing has been recommended.
The management measures will be aimed at ensuring a reduction in fishing mortality (catch rates) to protect the resource from further over exploitation, while still maintaining fishers’ access to the resources.
The Department fully realises that the intended new regulations will impact on many people who make their livelihood from the sea. To minimise the socio-economic impact of these intended new regulations, some of the present commercial effort will be redirected to more resilient resources.
The future commercial linefishery will thus be split into three sectors:
An appeal is made to the public to co-operate with the Department of Environment Affairs and Tourism in the long-term interest of both recreational and commercial fishing in South Africa.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
The future commercial Total Applied Effort levels ("TAE") to aid the recovery of the linefish stocks, with the intended redirection of effort, will be:
The low abundance of some fish is already resulting in many fishermen finding it difficult to make a living from this sector. Although the number of commercial fishermen with access to linefish will be reduced, the limits imposed on all resource users will benefit the linefish stocks and make more fish available.
A commercial right in the traditional linefish sector will only be granted to those holding no other commercial fishing rights, to prevent cross subsidisation of fishing activity by other resources on the vulnerable linefish resource. This will also ensure that fishers, whose sole income is derived from linefish resources, will receive preference. The holding of multiple rights for the hand-line hake and tuna sectors is acceptable and as an additional concession these two sectors, as with the traditional linefish sector, will retain access to snoek.
Commercial rights in the traditional linefish, hand-line hake and tuna sectors will be allocated for the first time under the Marine Living Resources Act during 2001. The intended new regulations in terms of bag limits, size limits and level of exploitation of linefish species will be published during the first quarter of 2001.
Invitations to apply for commercial rights will be announced in the early part of that year. The criteria to be used for evaluating participants are currently being developed in conjunction with user groups in each of the three sectors mentioned above. Applications for linefish rights received for the 1999 and 2000 periods will not be considered. Upon the granting of the commercial rights in each of these sectors for 2001, all previous exemptions granted in respect of linefish will terminate with immediate effect.
The ultimate goal of this recovery programme is healthy stocks and larger catches. Short-term sacrifices will, in other words, be rewarded by long-term gains.
Through the financial resources of the Marine Living Resources Fund, provided by the public’s permit fees and levies, the Department shall strive, through scientific research and adequate enforcement, to ensure that we can all fairly expect access to and sustain catches in the future.
The Department’s Marine Conservation inspectors as well as those from provincial and local governments will do regular coastal patrols and inspections at fish landing points to enforce the recreational and commercial linefish regulations (i.e., closed seasons, bag/mass limits and species on the specially protected, critical and restricted lists).
In conclusion it should be mentioned that the species management plans are dynamic, meaning that management regulations and objectives are anticipated to change with stock status, or as additional information becomes available.
Bag limits could therefore increase as stocks recover.
For more information, contact:
Horst Kleinschmidt (021) 402 3401
Marc Griffiths (021) 402 3118
Chris Wilke (021) 402 3123
Marianne Louw (021) 402 3096
Or visit our website: www.environment.gov.za/mcm/inshore/linefish.htm
Issued by the Ministry of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
For more information please contact:
The Media Liaison Director:
Onkgopotse JJ Tabane
Media Liaison Director
Ministry of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
082 465 6166 / 012 310 3611
tabane@iafrica.com