Man catches a fish, his dog behaves in an odd way. image: CANVA
GREAT News for fishermen in the Western Cape
After an interminably amount of time, it’s great news for fishermen in the Western Cape, as long-awaited permits are finalised.
Man catches a fish, his dog behaves in an odd way. image: CANVA
After a long and protracted battle against government, it’s great news for fishermen in the Western Cape. Small-scale fishermen in the province have been granted rights for 15 years by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE).
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Announced earlier this week (Wednesday 15 November 2023), GroundUp reported that 62 fishing cooperatives – made up of 3 850 small-scale fishermen can setup operations. 93% of applicants were granted rights.
GREAT NEWS FOR FISHERMEN
The issuing of small-scale fishing rights has been a long and protracted struggle against government, that started as far back as 2016. This came about due to numerous complaints about rights allocations when only 29% of applicants were successful.
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DFFE Minister Barbara Creecy approached the Western Cape High Court for review, and a new process began in August 2022. The only catch is fishermen need to belong to co-operatives. In similar fashion, rights were granted to co-operatives in the Northern and Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. Fishermen now have the right to fish for subsistence, as well as process and sell the fish. Only recreational, commercial, and subsistence fishing was recognised prior to this.
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Fishermen have welcomed the granting of permits. And the DFFE says it will now start setting up co-operatives and providing mentors to each co-operative. The department says it will do a lot more to support them and help small-scale fishing.
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What do you think of this great news for fishermen in the Western Cape. Be sure to share your thoughts with our audience in the comments section below. And don’t forget to follow us @TheSANews on X and The South African on Facebook for the latest updates.
