Fishing rights: Where is Tina?
The DA calls on Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Tina Joemat-Pettersson, to come out of hiding and address disgruntled fishing communities over the bungled allocation of fishing rights.
This comes after the Minister failed to attend a meeting held for the community of Hondeklip, in the Northern Cape last Thursday.
Earlier last week, the Department issued a sms to members of the fishing community in Gordan's Bay, notifying them of a scheduled visit from the Minister on 2 April 2014. The Minister failed to appear.
In fact, the Minister has not attended any of her scheduled visits to fishing communities since 26 March 2014.
Strangely, the Department's schedule almost entirely requires the Minister to appear in front of different communities at the same time.
No correspondence has been communicated to disgruntled communities as to when these visits are to be held in future and community grievances are to be heard and addressed.
This is amid immense unhappiness in fishing communities in the Western and Northern Cape.
Last Tuesday, fishermen set up a blockade outside the Hout Bay Harbour, demanding the Minister address them regarding the allocation of fishing permits to small scale fishermen.
The Minister has failed to attend -
Meetings in Mossel and Lambersts Bays, both scheduled for 14:00 on 26 March 2014;
A meeting originally scheduled for 27 March 2014 in Saldanha Bay; and
Meetings to be held, at the same time, in Port Nolloth in the Northern Cape and Gordans Bay and in Strand,Western Cape on 2 April 2014.
The Minister's game of hide and seek is a clear sign that President Zuma's ANC lacks regard for accountability and concern for poor communities who rely on the fishing industry as a source of income.
In government, the DA would ensure that fishing communities are protected, that jobs are created and that certainty over the allocation of fishing rights is established.
The DA's key policy proposals for small-scale fishing are as follows:
Fishing quotas must be allocated to individuals to avoid fronting and abuse. However, should a fishing community wish to have quotas amalgamated into a co-operative, this should also be recognised;
Fishing quotas must be allocated to persons who fish their own quotas;
Small-scale fishers must be allocated quotas in the vicinity where they live based on the internationally accepted Territorial User Rights Fishing (TURF) system so as to encourage responsible fishing and to reduce poaching;
Small-scale fishing quotas must be allocated for long term periods in accordance with TURF so as to encourage ‘ownership' of fish stocks, thus reducing uncertainty;
The state must subsidise the costs of obtaining and maintaining small-scale fishery eco-labels so as to increase the value of these stocks, which in turn would reduce the need for larger quotas and illegal fishing; and
The state must pay for the scrapping of unnecessary fishing capacity and must consider implementing a fishing right ‘buy-back' programme to support the recovery of nearshore fish stocks.
The DA will continue to fight for accountability within the Department and raise concerns on behalf of fishing communities.
Statement issued by Pieter van Dalen MP, DA Shadow Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, April 6 2014
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