Minister to launch first ever small scale fisheries cooperatives in South Africa
In a commitment to recognise and formalise small-scale fisheries sector for the first time in South Africa’s history, the department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), under the leadership of the Minister Senzeni Zokwana, worked tirelessly to formalise small-scale fisheries sector by amending the legislation, recognising small-scale fishers, formalising them into cooperatives, initiated a process of granting meaningful access to sustainable marine resources and facilitating developmental support program to small-scale fishers.
The department has invested resources in working with more than 300 communities in the four coastal provinces in facilitating recognition of small-scale fishers and small-scale fishing communities. DAFF also provided training, assisted with mobilisation of declared small-scale fishers into cooperatives and, in the Northern Cape, assisted the registered cooperatives to apply for 15 year small-scale fishing rights.
In the Northern Cape, the Minister has declared 103 individuals small-scale fishers.
Two communities have been formally declared by the Minister as small-scale fishing communities in terms of the Marine Living Resources Act and its regulations. The two small-scale fishing communities have received basic training on cooperatives and they have been assisted to registered cooperatives for the purpose of applying for 15 year fishing rights. The department has since received the rights applications for these two cooperatives from Port Nolloth and Hondeklipbaai.
You are cordially invited to attend this historic moment of the launch of small-scale fisheries co-operatives in South Africa.
The launch is scheduled to take place as follows:
Date: Friday, 28 September 2018
Venue: Northern Cape, Port Nolloth, Town Hall
Time: 10h00
Please RSVP to MerleVD@daff.gov.za
Kindly indicate if you require transport
For media enquiries contact:
Khaye Nkwanyana - Ministry spokesperson
Tel: 0214674504
Cell: 083 952 9723
Email: MLO.Minister@daff.gov.za
