South Africa recently announced a 36 percent increase in quota allocation of key fish species for the nation’s small-scale fishers, but many within the country’s fishing sector have criticized the announcement for offering little clarity on the specific species involved and the coastal areas it will affect.
The South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE) said in January that the increase would help the nearly 28,000 small-scale fishers dependent on South Africa's marine resources for food and income ensure they have the ability to grow their fishing businesses. A knock-on effect of that is more job opportunities in the fisheries sector, which should hopefully entice young people to join the industry, too, according to the department.
“This 36 percent increase in fish allocations is about improving livelihoods, empowering fishing communities, and stimulating economic activity in our coastal regions,” South Africa Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment Dion George said. “By supporting small-scale fishers, we’re ensuring that they become central players in driving local development and sustainability.”
In the past, small-scale fishers in South Africa have accused the DFFE of corruption and discrimination through the deployment of its fishing rights allocation system, claiming that those with connections in the country receive more favorable treatment.
“The allocations are such a corrupt system. You have to tell your story to a quota board, but it’s no use because people with influence can buy quotas,” Tony Trimmel, a South African small-scale fisher, told the Daily Maverick in late 2023. “People connected to politicians are the first recipients. You’re never going to be able to prove it, but everybody in the industry knows it, and the online license application system is a nightmare and stacked against us.”
Although the latest announcement seems to be aimed at rectifying previous qualms small-scale fishers have had with the DFFE, it has still triggered uncertainty and frustration among a portion of the sector.
Some of the country’s small-scale fishers have accused George of ignoring requests for a consultative meeting with them to discuss the best way forward for the country’s coastal communities and have also criticized George’s department for announcing a purported increase in access to certain fish species without naming the species involved or clarifying which coastal areas stand to benefit from the increase.
“While the proposed increase in fish species allocations is a positive development, there is insufficient information on how it will tangibly improve the livelihoods and economic well-being of small-scale fishing communities,” Masifundise, an independent trust that supports small-scale fishing communities in South Africa, said in a release. “It is important to note that small-scale fishers holding permits for own consumption are currently not permitted to sell their catch, and the lack of detail on whether these permits will be revised or expanded remains a significant concern.”
Though not directly addressing the announcement’s lack of clarity, the department of fisheries said the government remains dedicated “to addressing socioeconomic obstacles in coastal areas while ensuring the sustainable use of marine resources for future generations.”
“The department is working to reinvigorate coastal harbors as hubs of economic activity and want to help uplift small-scale fishers so that they can fully capitalize on these expanded opportunities,” it said.
The full effects of increasing quota allocation are unclear, but it could represent another win in a string of recent victories for South Africa’s small-scale fishers.
In December 2024, South Africa’s High Court upheld a decision to open up the country's lucrative squid fishery to 15 fishing cooperatives and 600 individual small-scale fishers, ending a multi-year legal battle carried out by the commercial fishing sector, which attempted to stop the move.
