The sudden removal of fishing rights from some of South Africa’s top tuna fishing skippers and companies is a body blow to the individual fishers concerned, but is a potential windfall to other countries.
There are growing concerns in the South African fishing sector around the outcomes of the Fishing Rights Allocation Process and the conclusion of the small-scale fishing process for the Western Cape, which comprises the majority of fish stocks in the country. The Frap appeals process has already been further extended after many traditional fisherfolk were excluded from the initial process when their applications were rejected.
The allocation of fishing rights entails policy development and the division of shares in the TAC or TAE of a particular sector and distributing these shares to worthy applicants. Needless to say, these rights are very valuable and from early on concerns have been raised about the potential for the politicisation of the process.
There is no policy imperative that speaks to this specific notion and while the intention to make the process more inclusive must be commended, the method is flawed. Substantialrights went to entrants as far from the coast as Boksburg. It’s hard to imagine how a Boksburg-based entity is being preferred over our traditional coastal fisherfolk.
Not all bad decisions in fishing rights allocations should be interpreted as manipulation. Some are simply made through Fisheries officials’ failure to implement their own policy. The sudden removal of some of South Africa’s top tuna fishing companies is a body blow to the individual fishers concerned but it is a potential windfall to other countries. Tuna are highly migratory and there are international bodies that aim to conserve tuna by regulating how much tuna a country can catch.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Justice minister Ronald Lamola calls on South Africans to be antiracism ambassadors'We need to be ambassadors of anti-racism to the world. Our generation needs to be different in every way,' said the minister.
Read more »
Call for applications now open – South Africa Women Entrepreneurs Climate Change Awards (SiAWECCA) 2022SPONSORED: 2022 SiAWECCA Awards Call for Applications Now Open! indaloinclusive will select & support 8 enterprises, provide development support through workshops, 6 months mentorship (virtual and contact sessions) and R85 000 grant funding. Learn more:
Read more »
Samoa signs China agreement amid South Pacific pushSamoa signed a bilateral agreement with China on Saturday, promising 'greater collaboration'.
Read more »
The legal cases all dog owners in South Africa should know aboutCompensation for dog bite claims in South Africa can include payment for past and future medical costs, loss of earnings and general damages for pain and suffering, says specialist legal firm DSC Attorneys.
Read more »
Two African countries approve Elon Musk’s Starlink before South AfricaThe first two African countries to grant regulatory approval for SpaceX’s Starlink are set to get the satellite Internet service later this year.
Read more »