In his address to fishers, Zululand’s Dept of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Minister Senzeni Sokwana said coastal communities have a long history of harvesting marine living resources for various uses including fishing to sell and for their own consumption, bartering and medicinal purposes.
He was talking after visiting a mussell harvesting and monitoring operation and listening to the concerns of the fishers at the Indaba held at Sokhulu on Thursday
Legal access to these resources has become increasingly difficult due to housing developments and the declaration of protected areas.
He said the department is working to legally recognise small-scale fishing communities and ensure that their tradition of fishing and its related economic activities are recognised and supported by government.
The law has been changed to recognise the small-scale fisheries sector through the amendment of the Marine Living Resource Act (MLRA).
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