Crayfish off the menu as the poachers strike
WWF urges minister to implement recovery plan
CRAYFISH are vanishing from some shops and becoming prohibitively expensive at restaurants as the delicacy is plundered in a free-for-all along the coast.
At least one retail chain is no longer stocking west coast rock lobster, and Woolworths is considering phasing out its stock too due to concerns over poaching.
The decision coincides with reports this week that about 50 tons of crayfish — more than the allowable catch — was hauled out of the ocean earlier this year because of the collapse of policing by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
The department confirmed a dispute with the company that provides fishing monitors, resulting in a free-for-all for 1 400 smallscale crayfish fishermen.
The blunder adds to concern over a dwindling crayfish population along the coast.
Fisheries officials have refused to lower the annual west coast crayfish quota, despite pleas by their own scientists, who are monitoring the situation.
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) marine manager John Duncan said the spotlight was on Fisheries Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson, who has committed herself to a crayfish recovery plan.
“We are sitting at the edge of a cliff. Our rock lobster stocks, the direction of our policy and ... capacity to monitor and enforce the law is heading in a negative direction. We are pushing the minister to not just talk about a recovery plan, but actually implement it,” said Duncan.
Joemat-Pettersson is under fire for the country’s offshore fisheries patrol fleet, which has not been operating because of an R800-million fleet-management contract. The fleet is meant to safeguard South Africa’s territorial waters from overfishing.
The public protector is investigating the contract.
Dennis Fredericks, the acting department head of inshore management, said this week the contractual dispute with the coastal monitoring service meant the department had not been able to accurately assess the total rock lobster catch between March and June. But this problem had been resolved.
The WWF downgraded west coast rock lobster last year on its seafood sustainability index from green (species safe) to orange (species under pressure).
“We advise consumers to think twice about buying categoryorange species,” said Duncan.
Food Lover’s Market has decided not to stock west coast rock lobster because of its commitment to sustainable seafood. “We will continue to do this until an improvement project is implemented to remedy the depletion of this resource,” said spokesman Simon Wilson.
Woolworths head of sustainability Justin Smith said: “We are
Representatives say the government is bulldozing the policy without first ensuring that stocks are protected
looking at phasing out the sale of this product, in discussion with our conservation experts.”
One crayfish costs up to R350 at an upmarket restaurant.
“We are at the mercy of the market when it comes to price, but mainly it seems to be going up,” said Daniel Evans, general manager of Cape Town’s Harbour House restaurant group.
Crayfish is the latest victim of the pillaging of marine resources. Six years ago the government suspended abalone fishing due to rampant poaching after the near disappearance of the species. Other fish species that are illegal to buy or sell include kingfish, musselcracker, kob and blacktail.
The crayfish shortage came to light this week at a meeting at which a government official briefed fishing representatives on a proposed plan to establish more than 143 small-scale fishing co-operatives along the coast.
Some c ommunity representatives say the government is bulldozing the policy without first ensuring that stocks are protected against poaching syndicates.
“The department has already [shown] they don’t have capacity to implement it,” said Pedro Garcia, chairman of the South African United Fishing Front.