It’s unlikely the South Africa Fisheries Department will announce new reduced fishing quotas as scheduled following a demonstration by a group of West Coast fishers.
The department was set to announce the total allowable catch of West Coast rock lobster (WCRL) early next week.
But this is likely to be rescheduled after small-scale fishers handed over a memorandum to department officials in Cape Town on Friday, demanding a meeting over the quotas before the announcement is made.
Siphokazi Ndudane, the deputy director general for fisheries management, says the department is open to engaging with small-scale fishers.
Coastal Links South Africa national secretary Christian Adams says they want the prohibition of full commercial WCRL fishing rights to conserve the species and to allow only livelihood catches.
The rate for us to go fishing is our heritage, it’s our culture. These rights were taken away from us under the apartheid government. Our government, under democracy, continues with the deposition which affects fishermen.
Eyewitness News