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Is the Fisheries Branch of DAFF acting as an extortioner? Dozens of small-scale artisinal right holders have complained to Feike that they are being illegally threatened by DAFF with the non-issue of their fishing permits until they pay their levies. An extortionist is commonly defined as a person (or organisation) who illegally uses their position of power to obtain property, funds or other assets from another. Which is exactly what DAFF is doing and they target small-scale fishers who they know they can terrify and who will run off to the ABSA around the corner and withdraw money and pay the extortioner, DAFF. The law is clear. Payment of levies is only due to DAFF once they have issued an invoice that complies fully with the VAT Act. If they have not issued an invoice, the levy is not due and DAFF does not have the authority in law to withhold any permit or licence. What makes DAFF's extortion even more problematic is that its non-existent Minister confirmed in Parliament that h...

It is with profound sadness that we heard yesterday of Professor Kader Asmal's passing. He truly did represent a generation of true heroes who always spoke truth to power. He was a member of the generation of leaders that represented the core historic values of the African National Congress, our Constitution and our Anthem. He was dedicated to the causes of democracy, the rule of law and equality. We could not afford to lose him at this increasingly dangerous time in our political history as those who represent the very antithesis of what Kader and his generation stand for, now worryingly take centre stage of our increasingly racist, populist, unaccountable and intellectually devoid body politik. Younger South Africans owe it to the memory of Kader Asmal to take accept the baton he passes on now.

Feike has been appointed by the African Union to design a fisheries experts database. If you or your organisation has undertaken any consulting work in Africa on fisheries and coastal management, and you wish to be registered on the African Union's fisheries experts database, kindly contact Feike's Shaheen Moolla by email.

The Weekend Argus (Sunday Edition) of 12 June 2011 reports that after almost a year, the Minister of Environmental Affairs, Edna Molewa, has yet to finalise her decisions for permits in the lucrative white shark cage diving sector. The full article can be read by linking to http://capeargus.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx The Minister's response is essentially the usual sleight of hand; if not just plain dishonesty. When this issue of the appeals was last raised in March, her excuse was that she had only recently received the appeals and a process of information verification had been completed in February. And she stated that her decisions would be announced in a few weeks - that was on 24 March 2011! Guess what her nonsensical excuse is this time? She is still apparently considering the appeals having received the "appeal documentation only in March" and "This meant “a lot of detailed work” including verification of the applicants’ assets and investments....

The Minister, through her media liaison officer, Mr Selby Bokaba, has responded to the opinion piece published by me in the Cape Times on 3 June 2011. The Minister's response is published in the Cape Times of 10 June 2011 on page 11. The Minister, as can be expected, attempts to refute the various grounds upon which we motivate for an assignment of her powers to the Western Cape government. The Minister's response however does not address any of the substantive issues we raise and in fact confirms that our inshore fisheries are in crisis and that a section 78 assignment under the Marine Living Resources Act is desperately required in order to rescue fisheries management. 1. The response confirms that all the senior management posts we referred to in our opinion piece are in fact filled on a temporary basis and that there has not been a permanent DDG of fisheries since the resignation of Monde Mayekiso in 2009. Accordingly, for almost two years, the fisheries branch under th...

Feike understands that the Department of Fisheries (DAFF) is scheduled to brief the National Council on Provinces on the state of transformation in the fishing sector as well as a broader debate on DAFF's budget vote. The briefing is set for 15 June 2011 at 14h00.

The levy charged by the Department of Fisheries on commercial wild harvested abalone is more than R31/kg, which is about 10% of the landed value of abalone. The abalone levy is substantially higher (as a percentage of the landed value of the fish) than all other commercial fish levies. In 2003/2004 the abalone levy was increased from R6/kg to R25/kg in order to fund a dedicated abalone management and compliance strategy aimed at reducing abalone poaching. The increase which was authorised by both the Minister of Environmental Affairs (who was in charge of fisheries - Marine and Coastal Management (MCM) at that time) and the Minister of Finance (as is required under the Sea Fishery Act of 1988) was premised and justified on the following bases: 1. The commercial abalone industry had been consulted and had largely agreed to the increase in the levy; 2. The increase was necessitated at the time to fund an important interdepartmental initiative to combat illegal harvesting of abalone. Th...