Department ignores AfriForum’s requests; proceeds with controversial application process
2 February 2016
The civil rights organisation AfriForum requested the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in December 2015 to put a stop to the unjust application process according to which abalone quotas will partially be transferred to new small-scale fishermen. However, the Department seems to be determined to proceed full steam with this process. Many coloured people will thus lose their quotas in favour of black people. This follows after the Department, despite AfriForum’s demand to put an end to the new application process, extended the application period for small-scale fishermen with a month.
With reference to a letter to the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Senzeni Zokwana, in which AfriForum directed specific demands to the Department on behalf of the fishing community, and granted the Department 10 days to react to the demands, Siphokazi Ndudane, Deputy Director-General of Fisheries Management, directed a letter to Thomas van Dalen, AfriForum’s Provincial Coordinator for the Western Cape, on 24 December 2015. In her letter, Ndudane mentions that the Minister is not available and that she is not currently in a position to discuss these demands. Ndudane also made an undertaking on behalf of the Department to comment on AfriForum’s demands to the Minister by 15 January 2016 at the latest.
“After the set deadline expired, the Department ignored various emails and telephone calls from me. Initially the administrative personnel informed me that Ms Ndudane is in Zanzibar, after which I was sent from pillar to post,” said Van Dalen. Van Dalen also mentions that no state official is ever available to communicate with him and even though he has left numerous messages, nobody returned his calls up to now.
After holding talks with various role-players in the abalone industry, it came to light that the Department had already been advised by two senior advocates concerning the correct procedure to regulate the industry, which naturally fell on deaf ears. There is widespread discontent about the manner in which the Department is managing the application process, but nobody wants to take action out of fear of victimisation as well as not to upset BEE partners. During the 2013 application process, various quota holders were deprived of their rights. The manner is currently being settled in court, but none of the quota holders whose rights were taken away, got it back as of yet. They were however granted permission to exercise their rights, even though they received no guarantees that their licences will be awarded to them.
The existing abalone quotas are already too small from which to earn a liveable income (229 kg - 334 kg). According to the application process, the Department can literally immediately award quotas after the closing date thereof on 11 February 2016without even having to look at the current applications.
Currently there are approximately 300 fishing communities along the coast, with an additional 10 000 small-scale fishermen who are also applying for quotas. These small-scale fishermen, of which many of them have no previous experience, will receive quotas in favour of fishing communities who have earned an income from the ocean for many years.
The Department made it clear that they are planning to award the quotas to such persons, and that the existing quota holders need to train the new fishermen, and in all likelihood go and work for newly established co-operations. “The manner in which the Department is managing this application process, is proof that they are not planning to keep the existing quota holders in mind regarding the awarding of quotas,” added Van Dalen.
The above-mentioned matter seems to be nothing less than an election gimmick from Government’s side to canvass votes. “AfriForum is not going to leave the matter here, and plans on dragging the Department to court,” concluded Van Dalen.
Issued by Thomas van Dalen, Provindial Coordinator: Western Cape, AfriForum, 2 February 2016
