SUSTAINABLE FISHING BY JESSIE TAYLOR
FISHING FOR THE FUTURE
Creating a sustainable inland fishing sector
A
new policy, recently approved by Cabinet, will unlock the potential of South Africa’s inland fisheries resources. This, in turn, will create jobs, add to economic development and help improve food security. The National Freshwater (Inland) Wild Capture Fisheries Policy recognises the informal activity of small-scale fishers in inland areas and formalises this sector. This will go a long way to ensure these inland resources are sustainably used and harnessed to their full potential. POTENTIAL AS ECONOMIC DRIVERS Inland fisheries have traditionally been managed as conservation and biodiversity resources, and until the new policy, had not been recognised for their potential as livelihood opportunities or economic drivers. “The lack of a national policy had hampered the sustainable utilisation of this natural resource and growth in the sector,” says Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Barbara Creecy. The new policy will allow for the promulgation of national and provincial legislation to provide permits and authorisations to be issued to individuals, legal entities or community groups. The policy will effectively decriminalise fishing from inland fisheries for purposes other than sport.Fishing activities in South Africa are currently regulated by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment. The existing regulations only provide for recreational fishing, which has created an informal sector around inland fishing for commercial purposes. The new policy adopts the ecosystem approach to fisheries which aims to increase the contribution of fisheries to sustainable development through considering ecological constraints. This includes habitat protection and restoration,
18 | Public Sector Leaders | November 2021
