R100m invested in small fisheries

Addressing delegates at the unveiling of the project, Thursday, the Environmental Affairs and Tourism Minister Marthinus Van Schalkwyk said the event marked a milestone in crafting policy and management regime for subsistence and small scale fisheries.

“We acknowledge that this sector of fisheries has not received the attention it deserved [in the past] as we did not have a dispensation for small scale fisheries,” Schalkwyk said.

The R100 million Marine Aquaculture project will consist of various developments in the four coastal provinces for the 2008/09 financial year, namely:
· an abalone farm in Gansbaai in the Western Cape,
· a finfish farm for silver cob or yellow tail in Saldanha Bay,
· abalone ranching in Port Nolloth in the Northern Cape,
· finfish farm in Qolorha in the Eastern Cape, and
· finfish farm in Sokhulu in KwaZulu-Natal and
· the development of a state hatchery.

This measure will be to accommodate 1000 bona fide subsistence fishers who did not hold a commercial fishing right and who could not demonstrate both historical independence and reliance on fishing.

“This partnership will have a stabilising effect on the fishing industry and will ensure that no communities are regarded as second class citizens in this country.

“We believe that consultation with the affected communities would assist in initiating supportive interventions with the aim of making a difference to the lives of the people who are adversely affected by these developments,” Van Schalkwyk said.

The global demand for fish products, he said has increased in the recent years while the supply capture fisheries have been decreasing.

“Following this capture trends, capture fisheries in our country are in decline affecting some 28,000 direct jobs that are allocated in areas characterised by high unemployment,” the minister said.

Last year, the department published two draft policies on subsistence and small-scale fisheries and embarked on a consultative process to get public comment on the policies.

Currently the marine aquaculture industry contributes 0.005% to the country's Growth Domestic Product and provides 1200 direct jobs.

Article published courtesy of BuaNews