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On 15 December 2014 and again on 10 February 2015, a select group of members of the South African fishing industry were invited to meetings with the Fisheries Department and the Fisheries Minister where the industry was briefed on issues afflicting the management of our commercial and small-scale fishery sectors. The meeting on 10 February 2015 was led by the Fisheries Minister himself but was held a mere 18 days before the expiry of ten-year fishing rights in the high-value, capital intensive tuna long line fishery.  At the 10 February 2015 meeting the Fisheries Minister announced that “… he will exempt all right holders whose rights are due to expire in 2015 from section 18(1) of the Act.”  The Minister further stated in his press statement that “[t]his exemption will grant an extension for a period of one year.” The facts are however quite different. The only fishery that will benefit from a 12 month "extension" is the tuna long line fishery. The majority of f...