WEDNESDAY, 03 MAY 2006:
“Resource constraints, large numbers of applications,
shifting resource distribution, low catches with
resultant socio-economic realities, became the
context within which we had to apply ourselves
as we sought to assert a sustainable use approach
to fisheries management and our allocation system,”
said Deputy Director General of the Marine and
Coastal Management Branch of the Department of
Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Dr Monde Mayekiso,
as he outlined experiences to date on the long-term
fishing rights allocations process.
The allocation of long-term
fishing rights commenced after extensive public
consultations which led to final fishery sector
policies’ adoption by Cabinet in May 2005 and
June 2005. The public participation process included
various community outreach efforts on the part
of the department (such as community meetings)
where over 9000 fishers in more than 50 villages,
towns and cities were consulted.
“More than 8000 applications
for long term fishing rights across 20 different
fishing sectors have been received ranging from
highly capital intensive fisheries such as hake
deep sea trawl and south coat rock lobster to
small scale fisheries such as Netfishing. The
number of applications for long-term fishing rights
almost doubled in comparison with the amount of
applications received during the medium-term fishing
rights allocations process in 2001. Of the total
long-term fishing rights applications received
nearly fifty percent were for west coast rock
lobster (near shore),” further explained Mayekiso.
Speaking on resource constraints,
Deputy Director-General, Dr Monde Mayekiso said
limitations of the total allowable catch (TAC)
or the total allowable effort (TAE) place a limit
on the number of right holders that can be accommodated
in a way that yields economic viability.
Citing the West Coast Rock Lobster
(WCRL) fishery sector as an example, Dr Mayekiso
indicated that the total commercial TAC for WCRL
is 2854 tons, a reduction of 10% from the previous
year. Approximately 95% of the reduction has been
absorbed by the offshore sector. The TAC for WCRL
nearshore is 572 tons. Biologically about 80%
of the resource occurs offshore in waters in excess
of 40m, whilst about 20% occurs inshore or nearshore
at less than 40m depth, explained Dr Mayekiso.
“With more than 4000 applications and an appeal
from communities to increase individual quantum
to make it economically viable, the number of
rights that can be allocated becomes limited”.
Noting a shift in resource distribution
and lower catches in certain fisheries, Dr Mayekiso
highlighted a trend of progressive southward and
eastward shift in the distribution of adult sardine
from the west coast. “The result is a shift in
economic activity from one area to the other.
The distance between the catch locality and the
processing facilities has increased, which means
an increase in transportation costs. This could
lead to relocation of factories which already
happened in the West Coast Rock Lobster sector
where a similar shift in resource distribution
resulted in less lobsters landed and processed
on the West Coasts, coupled with loss of jobs,”
Mayekiso said.
Addressing transformation in
the context of the long-term fishing rights allocations
process, preliminary results indicate an increased
allocation of TAC to black controlled companies
(50+1%) in most sectors, according to Dr Mayekiso.
In the hake sector Black controlled TAC has increased
from 14% in 2001 to 29% in 2005. The black shareholder
controlled TAC has increased from 38% to 43%.
In the WCRL sector, the black
controlled TAC increased from 51% to 61%, and
the pelagics TAC increased from 64% to 66%.
Explaining the way forward,
Dr Mayekiso indicated that the appeals process
is envisaged to be completed within the next 3
months. The Minister of Environmental Affairs
and Tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk as the appeals
authority, will apply himself to all submitted
appeals.
