SA's HAKE TRAWL FISHERY REMAINS IN LEGAL ABEYANCE

Subsequent to Minister Zokwana's legally flawed appeal decisions of December 2018 in the hake inshore trawl fishery, two review applications were brought by right holders in the Category A & Category B sectors (Case number 3330/19) ("the Seavuna matter") and one by Letap Fishing CC (Case number 400/2019). 

The Seavuna matter was finally conceded by Minister Barbara Creecy in early August 2019. Given the concession by the Minister in the Seavuna matter, she will undoubtedly have to concede the review application by Letap Fishing CC as well.

The terms of the order in the Seavuna matter are brief and simple and as follows:

1. The Minister's appeal decision of 10 July 2017 for the Hake Inshore Trawl Sector stands and is of full force and effect insofar as it establishes that Category A right-holders will share 70% and Category B and C right-holders will share 30% of the total allowable catch for the Hake Inshore Trawl fishery;

2. The First Respondent's appeal decision of 7 December 2018 is reviewed and set aside in its entirety; and the Category B and C appeals are remitted to the First Respondent for her to reconsider allocating 30% of the total allowable catch in the Hake Inshore Trawl fishery to these new entrants.

3. There is no order as to costs.

The effect of this concession is rather significant for those new entrants who were granted section 18 hake inshore trawl fishing rights in December 2018. It effectively means that they have now lost their fishing rights. They must halt all fishing and their section 13 hake inshore trawl fishing permits are a nullity. Any fishing on these permits post the date of the court order would be unlawful. 

The appeals filed by Category B and Category C appellants must be reconsidered in their entirety and the Minister can only consider an allocation of no more than 30% of the hake inshore trawl TAC to these two category of right holders. 

All Category B and C right holders are entitled to harvest hake inshore trawl and sole quotas as determined post the 10 July 2017 appeals process, pending finalisation of yet another failed attempt at resolving the hake inshore trawl appeals process. 

(It is hoped that the Minister does appoint a legal team capable of providing legally defendable decisions as opposed to continually retaining expensive "legal" counsel that provides such fundamentally flawed legal advice. It is actually unforgivable for senior lawyers to provide such legally flawed advice to Ministers).