Small-scale fishing boost

Breakthrough on oceans economy

NELSON Mandela Bay’s small scale fishing operators have been thrown a lifeline that will effectively help them actively tap into the oceans economy and take part in financially viable activities linked to the government’s massive Operation Phakisa.

The breakthrough comes after small-scale fishing operators in the region complained at a meeting with Agriculture, Fishery and Forestry Minister Senzeni Zokwana and provincial counterpart Mlibo Qoboshiyane about difficulties they were experiencing.

As a result, a decision was taken to give offices in the province’s coastal towns powers to issue permits currently granted only at a central office in Cape Town.

A range of other support mechanisms will also be introduced.

These will include training to make it easier for local small-scale fishing operators and divers to make a substantial living from the province’s 800km coastline.

The minister’s department will come up with an effective skills development programme that will enable such operators to comply with SA Maritime Association safety requirements.

Big fishing companies in the province’s poorer coastal towns will receive incentives for using local resources to catch, process and market their products.

Eastern Cape Divers’ Forum spokesman Romeo Hawkins said the city’s fishing area was dominated by Western Cape operators, efpowers fectively depriving the regional economy of any potential jobs and spin-offs.

“The office issuing permits is based in Cape Town, making it difficult for local fishing operators to obtain permits at times.”

Hawkins said Eastern Cape small fishing operators had suffered because of the costs involved in acquiring the papers as the local office did not issue permits.

“Of utmost importance to us is the commitment by the departments to decentralise of the Cape Town office,” Hawkins said.

“Now rights will be given to the previously disadvantaged people of the Eastern Cape.”

Following the meeting last Friday, Zokwana said the department was committed to ongoing engagement with representatives of all recognised fishing groups in the coastal provinces.

“The debate is about how you link the socio-economic situation of coastal communities and what is happening within marine resources and what happens when these communities are denied rights to fish,” Zokwana said.

“It became clear in the meeting that our people are called poachers because they are denied rights to fish, while some of them have history and experience in the sector,” he said.

Qoboshiyane said the move was positive in the quest for transformation in what, he said, was a white dominated industry.

It would also decriminalise some activities.