options to mitigate against impacts of the suspended wild abalone fishery
28 February 2009
Reversing the suspension of the fishery is not an option
The decision by Cabinet on 25 October 2007 to suspend the wild abalone
commercial fishing was not taken lightly and consideration was given to the
sustainability of the resource as well as the implications of such a decision
on legitimate Right Holders.
There is no doubt that the abalone resource has declined to such an extent
that it was not possible to sustain a commercial activity. Key factors that
contributed to the drastic decline in abalone stocks are poaching and the
migration of West Cost Rock Lobster into abalone areas.
Due to declining resource abundance the total allowable catch (TAC) has had
to be reduced annually from 615tons in 1995 to a record low of 125tons for the
2006/07 season, indicating the difficulty in sustaining a commercial wild
abalone fishery. In 2004, when determining the total global TAC for abalone,
Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk said "I
also want, however, today to give notice that if there is not a drastic decline
in poaching I will have to apply my mind at the start of the next season as to
whether it is perhaps time to consider a complete ban on all Perlemoen
harvesting for a period of ten years to allow the resource to recover."
In determining the TAC for the previous season the Minister furthermore
announced the reduction of the TAC to zero in three of the seven zones. In his
June 2007 budget speech Minister van Schalkwyk again stated the suspension of
the commercial wild abalone fishery was inevitable if no significant
improvement in the status of the abalone wild stocks occurs.
Worldwide abalone fisheries have either closed or are threatened by
commercial extinction. South Africa is not unique in respect of an almost
collapse abalone resource, but South Africa is unique in that it has an
opportunity to recover the resource.
The department has empathy with the affected right holders and it is for
this reason that senior managers of the department had met with representatives
of the Abalone right holders including the South African Abalone Association on
several occasions to discuss alternative livelihoods opportunities. The
declining status of the abalone resource was also highlighted in many formal
Resource Management Working Groups with representatives of the South Africa
Abalone Association.
The opportunities within the marine and coastal environment were extremely
limited and of a medium to long-term nature and this were highlighted as well.
Such opportunities include access to Boat-Based Whale Watching (BBWW) and White
Shark Cage Diving (WSCD), marine aquaculture and opportunities within fishing
harbours. Policies for BBWW and WSCD have been developed during 2008 and the
rights allocation process is currently underway.
The affected right holders demonstrated little interest in alternative
opportunities and demanded that the commercial fishery be re-opened.
Unfortunately, because of the depleted status of the resource, this request
could not be acceded to.
To assess the needs of rights holders, the department constructed a
questionnaire as agreed in a meeting held in December 2008 between the
department, Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) and the South
African Abalone Association. It was agreed in the meeting that the information
from the questionnaires would assist in focusing on immediate relief for the
most vulnerable right holders. Despite this decision, only three completed
questionnaires were received out of a total of more than 308 right holders (266
individual divers and 42 legal entities), regrettably rendering the exercise
futile.
However, the department remains committed to provide assistance and to
pursue options within its parameters of operation that may mitigate the impact
of the suspensions.
In order to address the short term needs of the affected persons the
department has identified 100 work opportunities, in appropriate areas, which
will provide employment at R60 per day until 31 March 2011, through its working
for the coast programme, which is one of the department's initiatives under the
auspices of the Expanded Public Works Programme. The Western Cape office the
Congress of South African Trade Unions, which acts as the representative of the
affected persons, was requested to provide nominations for candidates for such
work opportunities by 16 February 2009. To date no nominations have been
received.
For the development of Marine Aquaculture, a medium to long term
intervention, the Minister had announced the availability of R100 million over
a period of three years for pilot projects to be launched along the coast in
the four coastal provinces. Two pilots are to be rolled-out within the 2009/10
financial year, followed by the remaining three.
The department has increased its efforts to protect the resource, especially
in those traditional abalone areas which have the potential for recovery.
However, despite its continuous efforts and the fostering of partnerships with
other law enforcement and conservation agencies, poaching remains a challenge
to the recoverability of the resource.
The department has empathy with the affected right holders, but at the same
time it has a national responsibility to ensure the sustainability of the
country's marine living resources.
Enquiries:
Carol Moses
Cell: 082 829 3917
Issued by: Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
28 February 2009
Source: Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
(http://www.deat.gov.za)
