abalone
4 December 2007
The Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk,
has yesterday, Monday, 3 December 2007 gazetted draft regulations to prohibit
diving in certain areas to further protect the abalone resource. This comes in
the wake of the suspension of the commercial abalone fishery, which will be
implemented from 1 February 2008.
The abalone resource is threatened with extinction and urgent drastic
measures are required to prevent this resource from total collapse. Over the
past 10 years the total allowable catch (TAC) has been reduced annually from
615 tons in 1995 to a record low of 125 tons for the 2006/07 season and an all
time emergency low of 75 tons for 2007/08. In 2003 a moratorium on the
recreational abalone fishery had been placed due to the rapid declining of the
resource.
A suspension of the commercial fishery is considered as the only viable
option at this stage to provide an opportunity to prevent a total commercial
collapse of this highly valued, almost globally extinct resource.
The decline of the resource is caused by two factors mainly which are
poaching and the migration of rock lobsters from the West Coast into abalone
areas. Rock lobster feed on sea urchins that provide shelter for juvenile
abalone. This subjects juvenile abalone to increased mortality. Due to the high
demand and high value of abalone and extreme accessibility, the levels of
abalone poaching have escalated despite government's attempts at
curtailment.
South Africa is not unique in respect of a nearly collapsed abalone
resource. We are unique in that we have an opportunity to recover the resource.
Abalone stocks worldwide have faced severe declines over the past few decades
due to over-fishing, disease, habitat loss and failed control of the illegal
catch.
The objectives of the draft regulations among others are to enable
implementation of the emergency suspension of the abalone Haliotis fishery,
establish measures for the protection of wild abalone Haliotis and to promote
the recovery and rebuilding of the wild abalone resource.
The listed areas are:
Bird Island Marine Protected Area declared in GNR 696 of 4 June 2004
* Quoin Point to Danger Point (from the west bank of the Ratel River along the
coast to the eastern boundary of Gansbaai Harbour's main breakwater wall,
extending two nautical miles seaward from the high water mark).
* Dyer Island, extending one nautical mile from the high water mark
* Venus Pool to Olifantsbos (extending two nautical miles seaward from the high
watermark)
* Robben Island, extending one nautical mile from the high water mark.
Interested and affected parties may submit written comments to:
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
Branch: Marine and Coastal Management
Attention: Risha Persad
Private Bag x2
Roggebaai
8012
Written comments may be posted by registered mail to above address or faxed
to 021 4023009. Alternatively they can be e-mailed to Rpersad@deat.gov.za. All written comments must
be received by the department by no later than 16h00 on 15 January 2008.
Comments received after this time may not be considered.
Contact:
Mava Scott
Cell: 082 411 9821
Issued by: Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
4 December 2007
Source: Department of Environmental Affairs (http://www.deat.gov.za)
