The provincial ANC Youth League (ANCYL) has demanded that the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment review or restart the 2021/22 Fishing Rights Allocation Process (Frap) with a deadline of 29 July for all appeals to be lodged.
This request stems from the lack of fishing quotas awarded to the small-scale fishing communities that are now left unemployed, with no means of income and fishing boats that are docked.
The oldest fishing communities of Cape Town spanning back as far as six generations are being pushed into poverty with no other option but to shut their humble doors, forced out of the industry by the unfair Frap system which seems to be biased towards the big commercial fishing companies.
A sixth-generation fisherman and boat owner, Pierre Poggenpoel tells Cape {town} Etc’s Adrienne Bredeveldt, that the historic local fishing communities of Cape Town are battling to make ends meet, these are the communities that have been fishing all their lives, generations and generations over. It’s the only way they know how to make a living.
Pierre Poggenpoel said, “Our fishing quotas have been reduced to the point where we can no longer make a living from fishing. I had to close my shop and sell my factory and equipment, and retrench my employees who are now all sitting without an income with families to feed.”
Pierre added,” the amount of fish that the big commercial fishing companies and international fishing trawlers are now legally allowed to take out of the ocean can never be called sustainable fishing, so why are they getting the quotas while the small-scale fishers are being crippled? excuse the pun but something is fishy, it doesn’t add up.”
“We had a quota for 1000 tons which was sustainable for us. We now have a 130 tons quota. We cant go to sea for 130 tons, it’s not feasible. We have a crew to pay and boats to maintain.” – Pierre Poggenpoel
Pierre and his family own two fishing boats which are currently docked at the Kalk Bay harbour, each vessel costing R1 600.00 to dock in the harbour. There is also a fishing vessel license required for each vessel at R1 400.00, with the biggest cost going to the yearly SAMSA Safety Certificate at R40 000 per vessel.
EFF member, Nazier Paulsen said in a sitting in parliament,” there’s an old agade “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” but the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment would rather have them starve to death.”
Paulsen believes that the Minister continues to favour the big commercial companies as well as award international contracts while the small-scale fishers are left with minute quotas. The fishing communities are rejecting this outcome and are demanding it be reviewed.
The ANCYL has requested lifestyle audits on all department officials that are involved in the frap process. EFF along with the ANCYL in the Western Cape has vowed to help the fishing communities reclaim their livelihood and won’t back down.
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Picture: Marion Dawn Fishing