Please accept my apologies for temporarily abandoning our blog postings. As readers, clients and followers of the Blog are no doubt aware, I have been appointed to advise South Africa's Fisheries Minister on the administrative appeals lodged against decisions taken during the 2013 Fishing Rights Allocation Process (FRAP).
I am part of a 3-person advisory team, which includes an attorney - Ms Mamakhe Mdluli - and Prof Julian Smith, who served as Vice Rector of Stellenbosch University.
Since having commenced our brief to advise on the appeals that have been submitted, it became apparent that appellants were entitled to access a number of records and documents to which they had not had prior sight of in order to lodge proper appeals. Access to these records is presently being provided and appellants have been given until 16h00 on 31 July 2015 to supplement the appeals they had lodged in early 2014.
In addition, the Minister is presently engaging with the SA Commercial Linefishers Asscociation (SACLA) on a proposed settlement to the current review application brought by SACLA on behalf of traditional line fishers, which is presently before the Western Cape High Court. The review application is set down for hearing on 25 August 2015.
