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www.thevillagenews.co.za
13 May 2020
Marine economy flounders in troubled waters
rine environment and its objective is to maintain sustainable interventions. The four coastal provinces (Northern Cape, Western Cape, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal) were identified as key areas within which the provincial authorities organise inter-departmental operations to address crimes related to the marine environment. In doing so, all departments function in an integrated manner and not in silos.
Writer & Photographer Elaine Davie
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owns like Hermanus and its neighbours, Kleinmond and Gansbaai, owe their existence to the small-scale fishing industry. Over the decades, as larger-scale operations began to dominate the fishing environment and to some extent, deplete the oceans, only die-hard families continued to live off the sea, as they had done for generations, selling their catches to the big factories in Cape Town and to local restaurants and fishmongers. They were catching not only fish, but crayfish and abalone on permit and generally, this was enough to ensure their survival on a subsistence basis. In more recent times this section of the Southern Cape coast became victim to hundreds of abalone and crayfish poachers, who seemed to ply their trade with impunity on behalf of criminal cartels, mostly based in China and other Far-Eastern countries. Wild populations were seriously depleted, and the fishers’ quotas drastically curtailed, so that it became increasingly difficult to make a viable livelihood. The other side of the coin was the emergence of a new industry in the region in the 1980s – the farming of abalone (Haliotis midae). Not only did it not remove animals from the wild, but it began to employ a significant workforce and, since the product was mostly exported to the Far East, China in particular, it earned a significant amount of foreign revenue for South Africa. Despite two major plagues of red tide during the past decade, which had a serious effect on the profitability of the industry, it was able to pick itself up and revitalise its operations. And then came COVID-19 and with one fell swoop dealt a death blow to both the small crayfish fishers and the abalone export industry, as China slammed its import door in their faces. Although the Department of the Environment, Forests and Fisheries (DEFF) agreed to extend the crayfish season by two months, the fishermen
The deserted Kleinmond harbour. Although fishing boats are still going out, they are finding it difficult to sell their catch. had no one to sell their catch to, since all the local restaurants and hotels had been forced to close down. What had been a sustainable livelihood, instantly tumbled hundreds of fishermen and their families into poverty. Hopelessness in his voice, one of them said, “The sea is all we know, what can we do now?” Ironically, the abalone poachers were not nearly as deeply affected. Despite a step-up in the policing of this illegal activity since September last year, the poachers have continued to harvest wild abalone. Their catch is simply transported to illegal processing houses, where it is dried for sale once the market re-opens. In an exclusive engagement with Minister Barbara Creecy of DEFF, The Village NEWS raised some of these issues and the devastating effect they are having on the marine economy of the region and its people. We wanted to know whether the government is putting plans in place to alleviate the situation and offer hope to those drowning in a sea of despair. According to Minister Creecy: “Currently, there is no specific financial relief package designated for small-scale fishers by the Department. However, it is working closely with the fishing industry, including fishing communities, on various interventions to support the sector in reducing the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. These include, amongst others, amendment of the existing fisheries legislation and business processes to facilitate and enable fishing activities whilst adhering to the provisions of the Disaster Management Acts and Regulations.”
The dramatic drop in exports to China since the Coronavirus outbreak resulted in the West Coast Rock Lobster (WCRL) sector enduring economic loss from the decline in the export price. The small-scale fishers and the commercial sector petitioned the Department and it was agreed to extend WCRL nearshore fishing in the Western Cape until June, and the offshore and Northern Cape fishing until September. The WCRL sector will also be allowed to fish over weekends until the end of the WCRL fishing season. Holders of Permits and/or Authorizations that have been issued in terms of the Marine Living Resources Act, 1998 (Act No. 18 of 1998) and will be expiring, or have expired, have been granted an exemption to continue to operate with those Permit and/or Authorizations for a period of sixty (60) days or until 23 June 2020. The Department has issued Annexure C, Form 1, Permit to Perform Essential Services, Regulation 11 B (3) to all small-scale fishing cooperatives in the four coastal provinces. This dispensation has been granted in compliance with the Disaster Management Acts and amended Regulations to allow the fishers to be able to catch snoek throughout its migration, as it is the mainstay and a key economic contributor to the line-fish sector. The DEFF has also facilitated engagements with other relevant government departments, as well as other fishing sectors. For example, these include: • Fish Processing Establishments (FPE) – Licensed FPEs were
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engaged and encouraged to buy fish directly from the small-scale and traditional line fishers when they land their catch during the lockdown period. Municipalities – Relevant municipalities were engaged to speedily issue trading permits to fishers, langanas and vlekkers. Law Enforcement Agencies – Have been engaged to assist the Department both en route to and within the fishing harbours, where there are increased activities as a result of the snoek run, to ensure that that all right holders comply with the Disaster Management Acts and amended Regulations. Access to International Market – Together with the Rock Lobster Industry Associations, The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) were engaged to explore the possibility of exporting the available consignment of fish.
“In partnership with the commercial fishing sector,” says Minister Creecy, “a total of 800 food parcels have already been sourced and distributed in fishing communities around the Overberg region. An additional 4 000 food parcels will be provided and distribution expanded to other small-scale fishing communities in the Western Cape.” In the meantime, plans to curtail illegal activities and specifically to combat abalone poaching involve the implementation of Initiative 5, The Enhanced Coordinated Enforcement Programme in terms of Operation Phakisa. This plan aims to address all the security aspects within the ma-
This plan is currently being implemented with the intention of keeping the abalone at sea. Proactive strategies aim to prevent illegal harvesting and Reactive strategies follow up with arrests and prosecutions. Engagements include strategies to address the problem of poachers relocating to other areas to plunder. Although the three Phakisa operations in the Overberg from September last year to March 2020 have resulted in substantial arrests and fines, as well as wide-spread confiscation of abalone, together with a variety of equipment, local fishers believe that until continuous boat patrols take place along the coast, the poachers will continue to flourish between these operations. When it comes to the abalone farming industry, Minister Creecy emphasises that the DEFF is working closely with the industry through the Abalone Farmers Association of South Africa (AFASA) to support the sector during this time, which includes diversifying markets and assisting with the freight logistics of getting products to market, as indications are that the Chinese market is starting to open up. Other government COVID-19 funding support interventions that apply to all businesses are being explored. The Department is also investigating other means of reducing operational costs such as deferred payment on leases and rentals where feasible. The point is made that the ban in China of the trade and consumption of wildlife pertains to terrestrial animals and excludes aquatic wildlife. It is unlikely that the reduction of trade in aquatic resources will decline as a result of the ban, but more probably as a result of the unavailability of transport to access markets.
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