Fisheries: DA to introduce Private Members Bill
03 August 2014
The DA will introduce a Private Members Bill which will allow the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) to roll over the allocation of fishing rights for three years instead of having to renew every year.
This follows the announcement by Minister Senzeni Zokwana, on the extension of abalone fishing rights by exemption.
The extension allowed by the minister, is for a period of one year and will have to be repeated every year.
This situation does not afford abalone fishing rights holders the necessary financial security and will most likely affect their creditworthiness. There is the risk of banks and other financial institutions calling in loans and prejudicing rights holders because of DAFF's inefficiency.
The DA believes the only real solution is by amending the Marine Living Resources legislation (MLRA) to ensure that abalone fishermen and women are able to fish in terms of Section 18 of their fishing rights.
Following the massive failure with the allocation of the 2013 allocation of rights, DAFF has now yet again failed to properly plan, develop and implement an abalone fishing rights allocation process timeously. It has also failed to intervene effectively when it became clear that the deadline for the re-allocation of abalone rights by 31 July was going to be missed.
The DA has repeatedly asked what the department's plan was for the reallocation process. The "plan" announced by the minister is likely to cause further chaos because of its temporary nature. Instead of playing open cards with fishers, the department has ducked and dived and allowed uncertainty to persist.
Given the present state of chaos in the fishing industry due to executive inefficiency, it is clear a that the 2015 rights allocation of large pelagic fishing rights are heading for a similar crisis. Will exemption then also be issued instead of fishing rights?
The DA appeals to the minister and DAFF for honest, lawful and workable solutions to a problem that is affecting more and more fishing communities all along our coastline. Amending the existing Bill to allow for a rollover in both abalone and the 2015 fishing rights, would present a longer term solution and will inter alia ensure that rights are secured in a manner which will protect fisherman's creditworthiness.
It is a matter of public record that DAFF's own legal findings has shown that at least three years' preparation is needed to properly and lawfully develop and implement a reliable allocation process.
The DA will continue to fight for the rights of fishing communities across South Africa and ensure that their livelihoods are protected from DAFF's inefficiencies.
Statement issued by Zelda Jongbloed MP, DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, August 3 2014
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