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The Nairobi Convention Clearinghouse and Information Sharing System has announced the launch of the Kenya Coastal and Marine Clearinghouse and Information Sharing System, an online information sharing portal to improve management and protection of marine life and environment in the Kenya coastal region. Dubbed the Kenya Coastal and Marine Clearinghouse and Information Sharing System, the portal will be used to provide data and information on the environment in the Western Indian Ocean region. It can be accessed on this link: http://www.kmfri.co.ke/portal/

When the long term commercial fishing rights were allocated back in 2005 and 2006, the vast majority of fishing rights allocated were issued subject to the periodic performance measuring processes. The intention was to ensure that while valuable fishing rights - collectively valued at approximately R70 billion in 2005 - were being issued to commercial enterprises for periods of between 8 and 15 years, right holders would have to remain accountable to the government who remains responsible for the sustainable management of fish stocks. Generally speaking, each fishery policy states that right holders' respective "performance" will be measured periodically against criteria to be confirmed in consultation with the sector concerned. What was never envisaged was the present process which is akin to full-blown rights allocation process involving some 2500 right holders! It was never envisaged that MCM would have to spend some R9 million on a consulting firm to design complex ap...

MCM want recreational lobster fishers to pay R500 for an annual lobster fishing permit! When the 10-year long commercial lobster rights were allocated, the fee was R400! MCM want recreational fishers to pay more for an annual permit than the commercial fishers paid for a 10 year right! The fee increases proposed by MCM range from 233% to 488% for recreational lobster permits. All of a sudden, Eskom's fee requests look reasonable! South Africa's official inflation rate has just breached the 6% upper level and most businesses (especially small ones that create the most jobs) are still struggling to keep people on the pay-roll. The Cape Times reports this morning that the proposed recreational fishing permit and boat licence fees will certainly result in a sharp decline in permit sales which will hurt the local SCUBA, boating and fishing businesses. The proposed fee increases confirm an Eskom type crisis at MCM as it belatedly scrambles to raise money squandered by Mayekiso's...

South African fisheries management is in complete turmoil embroiled in scandal, lack of governance and a desperate fight by Monde Mayekiso, the DG of environmental affairs, Nosipho Ngcabe and their management team to hold on to aspects of Marine and Coastal Management apparently in a bid to not only justify Mayekiso's continued employment at taxpayers' expense but also to hide a host of apparent corrupt and questionable dealings. This much is clear from two separate documents provided to Feike. One is drafted by MCM staff and the other by staff at environmental affairs. The staff broadly accuse Mayekiso and Ngcabe of serious maladministration and blatant corruption involving hundreds of millions of taxpayer rands. Mayekiso is accused of a range of potentially corrupt and illegal conduct. Firstly, he is accused of siphoning off approximately R300 million in funds intended for the Marine Aquaculture Programme (MAP) supposedly for coastal community support and development. The acc...

In November 2009 the President, Jacob Zuma, informed the South African fishing industry in Hawston that a decision was taken to appoint Tina Joemat-Pettersson as the Minister in charge of fisheries and Marine and Coastal Management. In order to formalise and effect this decision a single A4 page presidential proclamation was all that was required to confirm the institution of executive authority over fisheries management in terms of the Constitution. Feike can now confirm that the reason why in February 2010 - 3 months after an instruction by the President - Joemat-Pettersson has still not been appointed Minister of Fisheries (despite her title to this effect) is that the senior management team responsible for the collapse of effective fisheries management in South Africa continues to undermine a decision taken by the President and confirmed by Cabinet. The trade union NEHAWU, whose members are employed by MCM, have addressed a letter to the President detailing the conniving and underh...