Tuesday, August 18, 2015

SA Fisheries Minister Announces Appeal Decisions in Prawn Trawl Fishery

This is the official press statement issued by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries on 18 August 2015.

The purpose of this media statement issued by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Mr Senzeni Zokwana, is to inform the South African public and the fishing industry in particular of the Minister’s decisions on appeals filed against decisions taken on 30 December 2013 in the KwaZulu-Natal Prawn Trawl fishery. The Minister will over the coming 8 weeks be issuing his decisions on appeals in the remaining 7 fishing sectors that were decided under the 2013 Fishing Rights Allocation Process (FRAP 2013).

True to the Minister’s commitment to redress the various concerns and problems that had plagued the FRAP 2013, the Minister has appointed three non-departmental officials to an Appeals Advisory Team to advise him on the FRAP 2013 appeals. These individuals include Advocate Shaheen Moolla; Professor Julian Smith and Attorney Mamakhe Mdhluli.

On Tuesday 11 August 2015 and Thursday 13 August 2015, Minister Senzeni Zokwana was briefed by members of his appeals advisory team on 17 appeals that were filed by appellants in the KwaZulu-Natal Prawn Trawl fishing sector. During the first meeting, the Minister was briefed by his advisory team on the processes and methodology adopted and that the appeals advisory team would be guided by certain core values and principles, including a commitment to legality, honesty and integrity.

At the end of December 2013, the Acting Deputy Director-General: Fisheries Management, decided to allocate a total of 5 fishing rights in this fishery. Of these 5 rights, two rights were granted authorizing trawling in both inshore and offshore waters. The remaining 3 fishing rights were allocated in offshore waters only. A total of two fishing rights (or vessels) remain available for allocation by the Minister.

Read the Minister's decisions here.

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