Fisheries Minister Commits to MAYBE Deciding Abalone Appeals by 31 October 2025

"The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, has indicated that he will endeavour to finalise his decisions on the appeals lodged against the decisions taken by the Deputy Director General: Fisheries Management on exemptions for the 2024/2025 Abalone fishing season, by 31 October 2025.

Minister George has emphasised the importance of concluding the process without delay, as the livelihoods of many fishers, their families and coastal communities depend on timely, fair and lawful decisions in the abalone sector."

This is from a statement issued by the Fisheries Minister on 4 September 2025 regarding appeals filed against a decision by his department to summarily deny 179 abalone divers permits for the 2025 abalone season which ends on 30 September 2025. 

The Fisheries Department had commenced "investigations" into apparent unlawful fishing by divers in November 2023. By December 2024, they had finalised these investigations without ever interviewing or giving any diver a hearing regarding any findings of illegality. 

Then, on 28 January 2025 a decision was taken to summarily deny 179 divers permits to fish and earn a living in violation of their rights to due process. Between April and July 2025, the DDG then proceeded to issue separate decisions (unlawfully as she lacked the authority to do so) refusing individual divers their permits and setting out what the violations were. Every one of the violations we have had sight of are bogus charges demonstrating an inability by officials to understand diving operations and even the ability to read vessel monitoring system (VMS) reports.

Some 140 appeals were filed against these decisions and the Minister has failed the abalone divers and their communities and families by not deciding these appeals well before the end of the 2025 season. 

Dion George's conduct and that of his department is reprehensible. The amount of suffering and pain he has caused these fishing communities is inexcusable. 

And so much for DA governance and excellence.