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The Non-Existent Small Pelagic Review Application by Minister Dion George

On 31 October 2025, Dion George issued a set of decisions in the sardine and anchovy fishing sectors that recorded his intention to institute, what he referred to as, a self-review application in the small pelagic fisheries (sardine and anchovy sectors).  George announced that the decisions taken by both the delegated authority (March 2022) and Minister Creecy (2024) were so unlawful that he could not take decisions on some 30 other applications already reviewed and set aside by the Western Cape High Court in 2025. [The self-review did not apply to the decisions taken by Creecy with respect to Category A sardine right holders].  George decided that at the end of October 2025. That was 4 months ago and his successor, Minister Aucamp - although noting in December 2025 that a self-review would be instituted -  has failed to institute such a review. On 4 November 2025 my clients, Atlantic Choice and Imperial Trading, were preparing to have their pilchard and anchovy review ap...
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The DA has Failed Fisheries

In July 2024, the DA was gifted executive control over the Fisheries & Environment department when they joined the Government of National Unity. Unlike any other political party, the DA had an extensive and detailed policy on the management and governance of fisheries and oceans . Instead, over the past 18 months, the Democratic Alliance has squandered the opportunity so comprehensively that it boggles the mind.  Instead of even basic changes to governance that could support and promote economic growth in fisheries, the DA elected to continue implementing destructive and anti-fisher policies and litigation.  The DA keeps talking about fostering economic growth and reducing unemployment (like the ANC) but like the ANC, when loaned power by the electorate, it has chosen failure instead.  We are witnessing the catastrophic mismanagement of the Foot and Mouth Disease and the procurement of vaccines by the DA's leader himself as the Minister of Agriculture.  Is the DA...
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THIS IS DA FISHERIES POLICY: NOW ABANDONED BY THE PARTY WHEN IN GOVT

What follows is actual DA policy on fisheries, which I wrote for the party back in 2013/2014. This remains the party's formal and actual policy position on the sector and yet despite having now overseen the SA fisheries sector since July 2024, the party has failed to even start with implementing the most basic elements of THEIR OWN POLICY.  So, why vote for a party that refuses to even implement its own published and adopted policies, which they tell voters is what they as a party believe in and will carry out.  The actual policy document is titled " DA POLICY ON NATURAL RESOURCES: ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS, FISHERIES, WATER MANAGEMENT AND MINERAL RESOURCES " and accessible by clicking the link.  What the DA has done since July 2024 is implement ANC fisheries policies and ensured that bad decisions  taken by Creecy continue in force.  Bizarrely, the DA has even published a draft "transfer of fishing rights policy" which is completely fixated on race being the key cr...
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What to do with a problem called ABALONE?

 South African abalone is once again in the spotlight. The question is whether the latest fisheries minister - Willie Aucamp - is going to have gonads to actually put measures in place to fix South Africa's unchecked abalone poaching and corruption crises.  What can Minister Aucamp do? What is incredible is the fact that he can put in place a suite of measures rapidly that will massively reduce poaching in the immediate term and benefit small-scale abalone divers from Paternoster to Pearly beach who are historically reliant on abalone.  1. Increase the abalone TAC from 12 tons (!!) to ±600-700 tons and strictly implement and enforce the TURF management system. Have legal abalone divers displace illegal divers by keeping legal divers in the water for the maximum duration of the annual abalone season. 2.   Allocate long term 15-year duration fishing rights to abalone divers who have been without rights since 2013. This will ensure a sense of "ownership" and further ens...
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