Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Senzeni Zokwana says the department has to ensure a careful balancing act regarding fishing rights allocations. The Minister delivered the opening remarks in Somerset West at a two day seminar in preparation for the Fishing Rights Allocation Process for 2020.
The rights for 12 sectors in the fishing industry are set to expire in 2020.
“Fisheries, despite various efforts and interventions to promote it, remain an undervalued sector in South Africa.” Mr. Senzeni Zokwana, Minister of DAFF in his opening remarks at the launch of the Fishing Rights Allocation Process (FRAP) 2020.#FRAP2020 @SAgovnews pic.twitter.com/nxhNnPmmsF
— Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries ZA (@DAFF_ZA) April 23, 2019
Senzeni says it’s vital that the department provides special focus on small scale fishermen.
“My view is we need a fully fledged mining type charter directed to the industry. We need to make sure that fisheries becomes a entity with the requisite skills such that when we issue rights, we are scientific, we are legally correct, we look at our policies, we look at law, the international law of the seas so that we conform to all those.”
