FOSAF NEWS Ilan Lax Late October, and the rains should have been here by now. Things up country are very very dry. Our usually green lawn is still struggling to find its verdant summer groove. All told, it looks like we may well be heading into another drought-induced rain sparse summer.
from our long experience of some of her key officials. Our legal team are finalising the heads of argument to be used in the case. Once these have been filed at court, the department will have to do likewise. Thereafter, the case can be set down for a hearing. These preparations have been time consuming and onerous. I am indebted to our legal team and to Ian Cox in particular, for making sure that our case is well framed and will be well argued.
Despite this, the fishing reports have not been half bad. This morning at a seminar I bumped into a well-known Durban fly-fisher and dresser. He intimated that despite the lack of rain and the unusually warm spring he and his fishing friends had enjoyed a good couple of outings on our Midlands still waters.
FOSAF recently lodged a submission on some aspects of the second draft of the National Freshwater (Inland) Wild Capture Fisheries Policy. I am indebted to Dr Leonard Flemming who undertook some useful research and drafted the bulk of the submission.
While we are in the throes of some peculiar weather (severe drought and damaging floods) we tend to forget that South Africa is a water scarce country and that droughts cycl es a re more the nor m than the exception. Some of what we are experiencing appears to be compounded by climate change.
This policy will inform how recreational anglers and other user groups will be allowed to make use of South Africa’s public freshwater fisheries resources. It is vital for the future sustainability of this important national natural resource that all user groups work together to find equitable solutions to some of the problems we are experiencing. South Africa remains one of the most unequal countries in the world. Bearing in mind this inequality and the enormous needs of ordinary people, it is not surprising that our freshwater fisheries is seen as a possible source of livelihood and subsistence by those in need.
One thing is for certain, is unlikely that our weather patterns will return to the “past normalcy” our parents and grandparents took for granted. Turning to other matters, you must be wondering what has happened to our court case against DEFF. I recently had reason to meet the new Minister in an unrelated context. It was notable how open and receptive the Minister was. This was a far cry www.saflyfishingmag.co.za
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