1. MEETING OF SELECT COMMITTEE ON LAND AND MINERAL RESOURCES DAFF BRIEFING ON FISHERIES CHALLENGES
21 February 2017

2. Presentation Outline Small-Scale Fishery Challenges & Solutions Quotas
Abalone Poaching
Reduction in West Coast Rock Lobster Abundance

3. Small-Scale Fishery Challenges and Solutions
Human Resource Capacity
Fisheries Branch, through the Directorate: Small-scale Fisheries Management is responsible for the management and development of small-scale fisheries in South Africa.
There is currently not enough staff capacity to fully implement the policy.
Solutions currently used – Department is looking at viable alternatives including entering into partnership with public and private entities and coastal communities; appointment of interns; contract workers and use of officials from other sections; and appointment of service providers.
Limited wild fish stocks
Apportionment of meaningful quantities of marine resources in all of the identified 316 coastal communities is proving very difficult due to limited and, in some cases, severely depleted standing wild fish population at sea, particularly in the nearshore areas.
Determination of what resources would be available for the small-scale fishery sector, “Basket of species” whilst still rolling out the 2015 Fisheries Rights Allocation Process (FRAP) added to the above-mentioned challenge.
Solution: Rapid finalisation of both the Small Scale Fisheries rights allocation and FRAP, including the appeal processes thereof would enable clear and more informed decision making with respect; and timeous communication to stakeholders is vital too. 3

4. Small-Scale Fishery Challenges and Solutions (cont…)
Delays in KZN
Unforeseen delays experienced as DAFF had to terminate contract with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife in 2015.
Open tender process would need to be followed to appoint new service provider for KZN.
DAFF currently relies on service providers in KZN.
Solution: Short term, appoint competent service providers and Long term, build internal capacity and establish permanent DAFF presence in KZN.
DAFF communication and training of co-operatives
Media consultant contract expired in October 2016.
No Formal Communication Strategy as yet.
Solution: New service provider will only be appointed in following financial year (2017/18). To proceed with preparing for open tender to appoint media consultant and to draft a Communication Strategy and Finalise a Training Programme for successful Small Scale Fisheries Community Cooperatives. 4

5. Small-Scale Fishery Challenges and Solutions (cont…)
Protest action by communities regarding implementation process
Limited marine resources to be allocated.
Lack of adequate understanding of the Equality Court order of 2007 and the Objects of the SSF Policy by some community members.
Need for internal cohesion and focus with respect to stakeholder engagement.
Communities regularly confuse Interim Relief with the Small-Scale Fisheries sector
General unhappiness with the provisional lists of successful fishers, which is perceived to exclude many deserving fishers.
Duration of small-scale fishing right of only three years considered too short.
Small-scale fisher criteria (particularly min. age of 18 yrs and 10 yrs fishing experience).
Unsuccessful applicants refusing to complete appeals.
High levels of frustration – implementation process too long.
Some people are advocating small-scale fishing rights to be granted to individuals or multiple co-operatives in a community, which is contrary to the small-scale fisheries policy.
Solution: Department needs to proactively communicate progress with respect to the implementation of the policy and must not deviate from the legal process that is prescribed for the implementation of the small-scale fisheries policy. Also community members are encouraged to submit appeals and provide further information should they feel that they meet the SSF criteria. 5

6. Small-Scale Fishery Challenges and Solutions (cont…)
Community engagements
No media consultant currently appointed to disseminate “real time” info.
Impeded by protest action and threats of violence, and conflict within communities.
Exploitation of community members by people from within communities and marketers.
Community representatives and associations generally not relaying information to communities or providing incorrect information.
Community engagements generally slow due to language challenges, literacy levels of communities, and lack of understanding of process and confusing DAFF statements.
Solution: the directorate small-scale fisheries management requires more staff capacity and the appointment of a media consultant is critical.
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)
Communities not adequately consulted w.r.t proposed MPAs by DEA .
Proposed nearshore MPAs would have a serious negative impact for a number of communities particularly in Eastern Cape and KZN.
Divergent mandates: Isimangaliso Authority’s core mandate is to protect the World Heritage status of the Isimangaliso Wetland Park, while DAFF is seeking to develop small-scale fisheries for communities in the Park. These two mandates would need to be harmonized.
Solution: DAFF to continue engaging with conservation agencies on the impacts of MPAs on communities. DEA to ensure proper consultation with affected communities. 6

7. Quotas 7

8. Quotas 8

9. Abalone Poaching
Abundance of abalone has declined further between 2015 and 2016, continuing the trend of resource deterioration over the past 20 years.
The primary contributor to the over-catches, which have in turn led to the decline in the resource, is illegal harvesting.
In 2016 it was estimated that poaching overall is now 6 times higher than it was when the abalone fishery was re-opened in 2009.
The scale of the illegal harvesting means that abalone are removed much faster than they can replenish themselves.
Model-based projections show that if the current level of poaching continues, the abalone resource will continue to decline, and collapse of the resource is inevitable.
This situation severely compromises the potential for legitimate fishing, especially as the Department is legally bound by the Marine Living Resources Act to allocate fishing quotas which are sustainable.
Investigations indicate that there appear to have been some gains made, and poaching appears to have shown some stabilization on on the West Coast, including Robben Island (Zones E-F)
Investigations further show that DAFF compliance effort has been stepped up since the re-opening of the abalone fishery in However, even this increased effort has not been able to keep up with the extreme pace of the increase in poaching. 9

10. Abalone Poaching (cont)
OPERATIONAL AREA
Monitoring Control & Surveillance (MCS) is deployed to cover a 3200 Kilometre coast line between Punta De Oro and Alexandra Bay including the 200 Nautical Miles of South Africa’s Exclusive Economic Zone. There are currently 243 Officials to protect, not only Abalone, but all Fisheries sectors.
CHALLENGES
Inadequate Resources, especially personnel and funds.
Inability to fill the vacant posts since they have become unfunded.
Inadequate training of Fisheries Control Officers (Law enforcement Officers).
Socio-economic conditions including lucrative illegal market of Abalone in the Far East.
Hostile Communities especially areas like Hawston and Partenoster.
The Overberg region in the Western Cape is an identified hotspot for illegal marine activities that are linked to drug trafficking, money laundering, and run by organised crime syndicates.
Inadequate anti-poaching communication strategy. 10

11. Abalone Poaching (cont..)
SOLUTIONS
Improve awareness to bring about a mind-set change against the plundering of vulnerable inshore marine resources and to secure community buy-in for the sustainable utilization of marine resources.
Collaborate with other enforcement agencies in dealing with organised crime syndicates and in addressing corruption amongst MCS officials.
Re-enforce training of the Fisheries Control Officers in order to improve efficiency of the Fisheries Control Officers.
Work collaboratively with the other law enforcement agencies through Operation Phakisa Oceans Economy.
Explore and incorporate technological strategies to enhance protection of Abalone and all marine living resources.
Work closely with the relevant domestic and international stake holders in eradicating the Abalone and Lobster illegal market in the far East.

12. Reduction in West Coast Rock Lobster Abundance
Since 1997, scientific recommendations for TACs for the West Coast rock lobster resource have been based on Operational Management Procedures (OMPs). These calculate recommendations each year in a manner that incorporates updated information from resource monitoring data according to formulae pre-agreed by scientists, managers and stakeholders and adopted by the Branch Fisheries Management as the accepted management basis for that fishery. The biomass of male West Coast rock lobster above the 75 mm CL minimum size limit (B75m) has recently been at about 2.5% of the pristine level. The need to rebuild this resource has been recognized and incorporated in all OMPs used to provide TAC recommendations. This years updated assessments together with a re-appraisal of estimates of the extent of and trends in poaching were conducted as part of the standard process of monitoring the performance and continued appropriateness of the OMP. The assessments showed results for resource status that were appreciably worse than anticipated, particularly for Super-area A8+ (the Cape Peninsula area extending to east of Hangklip). The revised estimates of poaching led to even greater concern, with best estimates suggesting a doubling over the past three years. Poaching is considered one of the major contributors to the currently depleted status of the resource, and extended access to the resource over a lengthy season (7-8 months) exacerbates the potential for poaching by all sectors

13. Thank You