Small-scale fishing rights to be reviewed

Small-scale fishing rights to be reviewed

Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Barbara Creecy is to approach the High Court to review and set aside the process of awarding small-scale fishing rights in the Western Cape. Based on legal advice, the Minister will seek the review of the entire process of those who originally applied for all Western Cape communities.

Numerous steps will be taken by the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF) to minimise the impact of the court application on fishing communities in the province. These include bringing the application as quickly as possible, prioritising the new verification process and conducting it as swiftly as possible.

These steps are aimed at shortening the period of impact. Importantly, the court application will request to maintain the current dispensation of providing access to fishing by fishing communities. The Minister will ask the Court to order that whatever form of access to fish communities and individual fishers have, remain in place until the new verification process is completed.

In addition, the Department is exploring ways to improve this interim relief dispensation that will apply during the court application process to ensure better and more equitable access for fishing communities in the Western Cape. The Minister’s decision to approach the courts follows multiple complaints from community members about the fairness and accuracy of the verification process for small-scale fishers.

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