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The Feike BLOG has brought you many a breaking news story and analyses of issues affecting the South African fishing industry. Between January 2011 and November 2011, we published 89 articles and opinions. Since our BLOG started in 2009, we have published 182 articles and opinions, some of which have resulted in headlines news in national and Cape-based newspapers and radio shows. In order for this BLOG to continue, we are asking our readers to support the blog by making a monthly or even once off financial donation. This will enable us to provide you with more breaking news stories and allow for better sharing of information affecting the South African fishing industry in 2012. Our daily readership averages 105 visitors. Our audience is diverse with top ten visitors by country as follows: 1. South Africa 2. United States of America 3. United Kingdom 4. Mexico 5. Russia 6. Norway 7. Sweden 8. India 9. France 10 Italy Financial contributions can be made to the foll...

Timeslive.co.za reports today (27 November 2011) that ANC member of the parliamentary portfolio committee on agriculture, forestry and fisheries, Salam Abram, stated that the department is in "shambles". Timeslive reports as follows: "Joematt-Pettersson, who has been in the spotlight over her hotel bills and travels, has also been criticised by an ANC MP serving on the agriculture, forestry and fisheries portfolio committee, who described the department as a "shambles". "It is common knowledge that the department is in shambles, it is very far from carrying out what it is supposed to do. It is not visible on the ground. They come with beautiful slides and put them on the screen, but when it comes to oversight, you see very little of what they do," said Salam Abram. [Selby] Bokaba (the Minister's spokesperson) refused to comment on Abram's claims."

Our political environment is so polluted by corruption, maladministration and mind-numbing levels of incompetence that when we hear about a fishing company (and its holding company) being awarded an R800m tender to essentially manage South Africa's entire fleet of fishery patrol and research vessels and then also exposed for paying for the personal security costs of a senior ANC minister's home in the northern Limpopo province, questions just keep popping up. Firstly, with respect to the fisheries research and patrol tenders. How is it possible for a fishing company to be responsible for the management and maintenance of patrol and research vessels. Its akin to insider trading; the fox looking after the henhouse; essentially, Premier fishing will know where and when patrol vessels are to be deployed and may even be able to influence deployment strategies whether directly or indirectly. To deny this, is to deny the earth is round or that man landed on the moon. Regardless of how...

The Mail and Guardian reports the following very strange story about Premier Fishing, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sekunjalo who was just awarded an R800m contract by the Department of Fisheries. Why is Premier Fishing paying for the security of the Minister of International Relations? International Relations Minister failed to declare a R100 000 benefit. International Relations Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane has not declared to Parliament a R100 000 payment for around-the-clock private security at her private residence in Polokwane. Cape Town-based Premier Fishing picked up Nkoana-Mashabane's R8 655-a-month security tab for 12 months in 2010-2011. Premier Fishing is a subsidiary of JSE-listed Sekunjalo Investments. Its executive chairperson, Iqbal Survé, has travelled overseas with the official business delegation accompanying President Jacob Zuma, Nkoana-Mashabane and other ministers on state visits and other government business. Survé is also a director of Premier Fishing. The ...

Published to www.bday.co.za on 25 November 2011. BLACK-empowered Sekunjalo Investments has won a five-year, R800m government contract it says will improve profitability and broad-based participation in SA’s maritime sector. Sekunjalo led a consortium including ship-builder KND to maintain eight state-owned research and patrol vessels, including the Algoa, the Ellen Khuzwayo and the Sarah Baartman. The contract, awarded by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, is expected to accelerate broad-based participation in Cape Town’s highly concentrated maritime industry. Sekunjalo said yesterday the contract would significantly improve the group’s profitability and cash flow through subsidiary Sekunjalo Industrial. Sekunjalo CEO Khalid Abdulla said the unit was one of the only black-owned companies in Africa with the technical and engineering expertise to manage a contract of this magnitude. "Today, Sekunjalo not only manages technical maintenance of its own fleet, but co...

It has been confirmed that the Oceana Group Ltd has agreed to purchase all assets and interests held by the Lusitania Fishing group. The purchase will mean that Oceana will gain control over substantial additional hake, horse mackerel and South Coast rock lobster fishing interests. The purchase would increase Oceana's interest in the hake industry from 1.1% to 4.4%, in horse mackerel from 18.8% to 22.8%, in south coast lobster from 3.1% to 22.6% and increase the commercial cold storage capacity of the group by 4.1%. The purchase is subject to obtaining regulatory approval from the Minister of Fisheries under section 21 of the Marine Living Resources Act and Competition Commission approval. Oceana anticipates that the transaction would be effective from 1 March 2012. See www.oceana.co.za for more.

Today we face the prospect that the African National Congress completes its slide into the very deepest and darkest depths of corruption, sleaze and moral decay. And as it "celebrates" its centenary. The Party that spearheaded the Peoples Congress at Kliptown now chooses to flatly ignore the voices of hundreds and thousands, if not millions, as it appears completely desperate to pass the Protection of State Information Bill - the Secrecy Bill. How tragic that this great African movement has morphed into the National Party, seeing the same ghosts of "foreign spies" and varying shades of "gevaar" (fear) used so well by the Apartheid regime to scare its sheepish followers into towing the party line. Despite the ANC's protestations to the contrary, the Bill's sole aim - like the collapsing of the Scorpions - is to shield the party and its officials from their uncontrollable lust to plunder the public coffer and undermine the rule of law. And make no mi...

Feike has invested in the development of a dedicated blog on South African fisheries where we will provide regular but brief news updates on issues affecting the commercial fisheries sector. The blog also provides important socio-economic facts and figures on some of our major commercial and small-scale (artisinal) fishery sectors. go to safisheries.wordpress.com

Feike has been provided with copies of correspondence issued by the Fisheries Department threatening small-scale commercial right holders in the lobster and abalone sectors with the "termination" of their permits if these right holders do not make levy payments by 15 December 2011. Feike wishes to confirm that this threat is unlawful and amounts to extortion. It is most alarming that the department continues to unlawfully threaten right holders with withholding (and now “termination”) of their permits and/or section 28 Notices for failing to make levy payments despite the fact that the department continues to not issue proper and valid tax invoices to right holders. Earlier this year, the Minister confirmed to Parliament (Question 159 of 2011) that her department has never collected any levy without a tax invoice. She was of course not telling the truth. Her department has for some time been too inefficient to issue tax invoices and instead extorts levy payment from right hol...

The pictures provided below are courtesy of Mr Scott Russell, a commercial abalone diver and spokesperson for the South African Abalone Industry Association. Attendees at the Launch The Minister addresses the gathering at the launch The newly trained military veterans on parade The "Leervis" Chase Vessel The "Galjoen" Chase Vessel The "Galjoen" 300HP Engines on each of the Chase Vessels

Over the course of the past few days, Feike has received requests for assistance from a number of right holders in the abalone and lobster fisheries who had attempted to uplift their annual fishing permits only to be told that levies were outstanding and levy returns were not submitted. After Feike addressed correspondence to the department reminding them of what the legal position is regarding the "withholding" of permits and the payment of levies, right holders have been contacted to inform them their permits are now ready for collection. One of our clients confirmed that the DAFF official who phoned him confirmed serious "shortcomings" in the administration of levy returns and levies. Although this is not news to the fishing industry, it once again confirms the parlous state of management at the fisheries branch. Questions that need to be answered are: 1. What "administrative shortcomings" are being experienced? 2. Does the department know exactly whi...

The Minister of Fisheries launched 3 anti-paoching vessels on 14 November 2011 in Hermanus. The function also noted the completion of a fisheries compliance training course for a number of military veterans who are to be deployed to combat abalone poaching between Rooi-Els and Arniston. The launch of these anti-poaching "chase" vessels and the deployment of a team of committed "military veterans" as fishery control officers has to be welcomed as a step in the right direction in battle against rampant abalone poaching in the Overberg region. A number of right holders did however express their concerns that the "chase" vessels were not equipped for night operations and that the average poaching RIB is easily capable of speeds of in excess of 60 knots - the chase vessels have a maximum speed of 48 knots. This is however a huge improvement over the use of the inshore and offshore patrol vessels which were never intended for use in the abalone fishery. The Mini...

The Fisheries Department has announced the new recreational lobster fishing season which will commence on 15 November 2011. The season will close on the 15th of January 2012. Thereafter, the season will open again from the 6th of April 2012 and close on the 9th of April 2012. The following conditions for the WCRL recreational fishing season will apply: From the 15th of November 2011 to the 15th of January 2012, fishing will be allowed every day; From the 6th of April 2012 to the 9th of April 2012 fishing will also be allowed every day; Recreational permit-holders collecting and landing WCRL may do so only between 08h00 – 16h00. The rock lobsters must be landed by 16:00; The bag limit has been set at four per-person-per-day and the size restriction is 80mm carapace length. Any WCRL caught, collected or transported must be kept in a whole state; A maximum of 20 rock lobsters may be transported per day, on condition that all the persons who caught such rock lobster are present. Such perso...

The Minister of Fisheries has admitted in Parliament that a staggering 590 tons of abalone was confiscated by the department of fisheries during the 2010/2011 financial year. While this admission is jaw-dropping, what is even more alarming is her further confirmation that during the same financial period, the department is recorded to have earned R11,3 million from the sale of confiscated abalone. 590 tons of abalone is conservatively valued at R185 million (@R350/kg). This valuation is however based on what right holders can earn from the sale of abalone to South African marketers who then market the product internationally for substantially higher amounts. All confiscated abalone is sold directly to buyers in Hong Kong and China and so the department should be earning substantially higher amounts than what quota holders would ordinarily earn. The Minister's response of course raises two extremely concerning issues. The first is that the 590 ton figure is 4-times the legal quota a...

Despite initial suggestions and proposed recommendations for a cut to the commercial lobster catch limits (TAC), the Minister has set the TAC for nearshore commercial (artisinal) at 451 tons (451 tons in 2010/2011) and offshore commercial at 1540,7 tons (1528 tons in 2010/2011) according to the WCRL Industry Association. The catch limit for the interim relief sector has been increased by 50 tons to 250 tons. The TAC limits will come as a huge relief to the commercial and artisinal fisheries as they were contemplating cuts to their quotas of between 6% and 10%.

On 3 November 2011, abalone fishers will hand a second memorandum to the Minister of Fisheries who - despite promising to reply to the first memorandum handed to her officials on 13 October - has once again failed to communicate with members of the fishing industry. The second memorandum reads as follows: Dear Minister Tina Joemat Petterson Unfortunately you have failed to address our URGENT memorandum of 13 October 2011. Are we to understand that you have decided to treat us with contempt? What has happened to the concept of "People First" (Batho Pele) ? What has happened to the promise of "a better life for all" ? This does not mean a better life for Government officials; Ministers and Abalone poachers - while we your clients are ignored and neglected! You are our minister - the buck stops with you - our issues require you urgent attention - we do not want your continued absence or to hear about your excessive lifestyle in luxury hotels - we want you to take actio...

Feike has developed a database for the African Union allowing for various categories of fisheries and aquaculture experts to register their details with the AU for future tenders and consultative processes. The database has been built to be scaleable, searchable and updatable. The database identifies various categories of experts and stakeholders involved in African fisheries and aquaculture, including RFMO's, private expert consultants, tertiary and research institutions, fish worker unions and industrial bodies.