Kreef quotas still up in the air

THE WEST Coast rock lobster (nearshore) allocations are provisional decisions and may change once submissions from the fishing sector have been heard.

Siphokazi Ndudane, fisheries management deputy director-general from the Department of Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries (Daff ) said: “Given that these are provisional decisions and currently open to public comment and input, I do not intend defending or justifying these decisions.”

Ndudane yesterday responded to DA MP Pieter van Dalen’s comment that the decisions made last month was “unlawful and unfair”. All West Coast near-shore fishers would be allowed to harvest their 2016/2017 allocation until June 30 when the current fishing season ends, said Ndudane. The ANC has requested an urgent meeting with Daff Minister Senseni Zokwana to request immediate suspension of the provisional allocation. They also requested that Daff reveal their intentions for the West Coast Rock Lobster (offshore) sector, said Linda Moss, ANC provincial Economic Transformation Committee head. “We hope to discuss the suspension of the provisional allocations of West Coast rock lobster (nearshore) and engagement with representatives of this sector and to seek clarity on the current status of both the small-scale fishers registration process and the allocation of a final basket of fish for small scale.” Moss said they will also broach the subject of reconstituting the Consultative Advisory Forum (CAF) and the Fisheries Transformation Committee (FTC) in terms of the Marine Living Resources Act of 1998, as a way to deal with transformation issues.

Ndudane said that all submissions should be e-mailed to WCRLcomments@daff.gov. za by 4pm on June 5 .

THE DECISIONS MADE LAST MONTH WAS ‘UNLAWFUL AND UNFAIR’