Briefing to the Select Committee on Land and
Environment on Fisheries Issues
Acting Deputy Director-General: Fisheries Management and Team
Outline of the Presentation
Introduction of the DAFF Fisheries Team
Strategic positioning of Fisheries within new Department of
Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries (DAFF)
Update on Small-scale Fisheries Policy
 Outcomes of the recent Stakeholder Workshop
 Reconfiguration of the Internal Policy Steering Committee
 Revised policy framework
 Roadmap
 Fishing Closure Project
Topical issues
 Illegal fishing/poaching
 Abalone Recovery
Introduction of the DAFF Fisheries Team
 Acting Deputy Director-General: Fisheries Management
 Dr Motseki Hlatshwayo
 Chief Director: Strategic Support & Management
 Ms. Sue Middleton
 Acting Chief Director: Resources Management
 Dr Johann Augustyn
 Acting Chief Director: Monitoring, Control & Surveillance
 Mr. Nkosinathi Dana
 Director: Stakeholder Engagement & Outreach
 Mr. Desmond Stevens
 Director: Offshore & High-Seas Fisheries Management
 Mr. Saasa Pheeha
 Acting Director: Inshore Resources Management
 Mr. Dennis Fredericks
Strategic positioning of Fisheries within DAFF
 Fisheries have enormous potential to provide poor with more food, better
nutrition & increased incomes.
 Already many of world’s poorest billion, particularly in Asia & Africa, get
substantial portion of animal protein in their diet from fish. For many of these
people, fish also provides a major source of livelihood.
 With targeted investment in South Africa to better manage fisheries & develop
aquaculture we can substantially increase these benefits.
 Due to commercial approach to rights allocation process small-scale fishers &
disadvantaged communities have been marginalized.
 Absence of coherent national policies & plans resulted in lack of development
of small-scale fishers & rural coastal communities.
 In addressing these challenges, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries
developed draft National Fisheries Plan, which aims to address these
challenges; Plan looks mainly at short to medium-term & links to sector plan for
long-term visioning of the sector.
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Draft National Fisheries Plan
Ten-point plan:
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Governance & institutional development;
Provision of technical & support services to sector;
Aquaculture development;
Value-chain development & support;
Improve capacity for enforcement & levels of compliance in sector;
Food safety & quality assurance;
Sustainable resource management & economic recovery of key fisheries;
Socio-economic development & alternative livelihoods for coastal
communities;
• Transformation & promotion of women & youth involvement in sector; &
• Broadening fisheries resource-base through research and exploring new
fisheries.
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Update on Small-scale Fisheries Policy
 Fishing & coastal communities were not included in new fisheries dispensation
introduced in late 1990’s with promulgation of Marine Living Resources Act,
1998 (Act No.18 of 1998) (MLRA) & provided for in General Policy on Long
Term Commercial Fishing Rights.
 These communities persistently voiced concerns about their exclusion &
expressed their aspirations for development of Small-scale Fisheries Policy
that recognizes their rights to an equitable fisheries dispensation & sustainable
livelihoods.
 This right has been endorsed by various Equality Court Orders over past years.
 Government is currently engaging stakeholders in participative process to
develop new policy to guide governance & management of small-scale
fisheries.
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Update on Small-scale Fisheries Policy (cont’d)
 Process ensures that traditional, subsistence
communities fully participate in policy development.
&
small-scale
fishing
 At National Small-Scale Fisheries Summit in Port Elizabeth (November 2007),
National Joint Task Team (NTT) was nominated & appointed. NTT appointed
Technical Committee to oversee development of draft small-scale fisheries
policy.
 NTT tabled first draft small-scale fisheries policy at recent Stakeholder
Workshop held in Sea Point (7- 8 May 2010).
 Draft policy was mainly rights focused & Minister vision necessitated that policy
should respond to current government priorities, which are in line with needs of
all coastal communities
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Update on Small-scale Fisheries Policy (cont’d)
 An Internal Steering Committee (ISC) was appointed following Stakeholder
Workshop to re-work draft policy to address issues of economic development,
food security and rural development, & design programmes & support
packages for fishing communities.
 ISC Team members:
• Lucas Williams, Motseki Hlatshwayo, Desmond Stevens, Dennis Fredericks, Carol
Moses, Cheslyn Liebenberg, Mzondeleli Dlulane, Jacques van Zyl & Sandile Sibiya
 Revised document will ensure:
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Improved & equitable access to fish to eat
Increased & more equitable distribution in income from fishing
Reduced vulnerability of fishery dependent people
Long-term sustainable fish catches within productive & resilient aquatic ecosystems
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Small-scale Fisheries Policy Roadmap
 April 2010: Internal Departmental Workshop; Feedback to Technical
Committee & NTT
 May 2010: Small-scale Fisheries Policy Stakeholder Workshop; Briefing for
new Minister; update of Select & Portfolio Committees
 June 2010: Focused meetings with industry & interest groups to explain
impacts of policy; NEDLAC process
 July 2010: Feedback to Technical Committee & NTT; Meeting with Minister to
seek permission to gazette for public comments
 August 2010: Publish draft policy for public comments
 September 2010: Road shows
 October 2010: Incorporation of inputs & comments; Prepare costing &
implementation plan; Submission to Cabinet & other forums; Costing &
development of Implement Strategy & Action Plans
 November 2010: Gazetting of final policy
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Update on Fishing Closure Project
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Main food of penguins is anchovy & sardine
Eastward shifts decreased availability of these fish around w colonies
Experimental closures to purse-seining introduced around penguin
colonies from 2008 (Dassen W Cape; St Croix E Cape)
Intensive monitoring of penguins undertaken (as below)
Analyses continuing
Breeding population – nest counts;
Adult population – moult counts;
Survival – banding & transponders;
Breeding success – nest monitoring;
Breeding participation proportion empty nests;
Chick growth – individual chicks;
Chick condition – mass v head measure;
Foraging parameters (distance from colony; time
at sea, proportion of trip feeding) – GLS loggers,
transponders
 Diet – water offloading
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Topical Issues
 Involvement of Fisheries Management Vessels at 2010 Fifa World Cup for
security
• Lilian Ngoyi, Victoria Mxenge & Florence Mkhize protect our waters & facilities
around Cape Town, Durban & Port Elizabeth.
• Sarah Baartman is patrolling national waters (up to 200 nautical miles offshore).
• DAFF plays key role in Security Cluster
 Illegal fishing/poaching
• Expand Military Veterans Project (create partnership with Department of Military
Veterans).
• Increase capacity for enforcement & create stronger partnerships with fishing
communities (community policing)
 Abalone Recovery Plan
• Cabinet Memo for opening of abalone fishery
• Recovery plan developed & institutional arrangements proposed for sustainable
management of fishery
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Re a leboha
Thank You
Dankie