DA to submit urgent PAIA application for fishing rights
The DA is committed to seeing to it that every single person who fulfils the criteria to be awarded fishing rights is allocated these rights as soon as possible.
We have already requested that the Chairperson of the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Portfolio Committee, Lulu Johnson call an emergency meeting of the committee to allow Parliament to get to the bottom of this debacle.
We will also submit an urgent application in terms of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) for the score sheets and any other data used by the Department during its Fishing Rights Allocation Process.
Furthermore, we will be writing to the Public Protector, Thuli Madonsela, requesting that she launch an investigation into the lawfulness of the processes followed in the allocation of rights.
On 30 December 2013, the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced the allocation of fishing rights in South Africa. Sadly, of the 3 490 applications, only about 600 led to rights being granted in seven different sectors. Furthermore, only 215 applications for traditional line fishing were successful out of the 1 556 applications. From the 400 established traditional line fishing licenses, only 105 previous right holders were awarded fishing rights while 100 new entrants were also awarded rights. The rest were denied without explanation.