Deep-sea fish resources are being well managed

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This transcript is a translation from the original interview conducted in Afrikaans, which aired on RSG Geldsake, here.

TINUS DE JAGER:  Late last year it was said that South African fish resources were being well managed and that certain commercial types of fish are at the level they were at 50 years ago. In 2019 the figures indicated that R9.4 billion was being generated from the fishing industry and more than 17 000 people were working in it. The latest figures however, throw some light on the situation. I have seen no abalone in the sea this year, despite the ban on taking it out.

We are chatting to Neville Brink now, CEO of Oceana and the author of an article in which he praises the management of South Africa’s fish resources.

Good evening Neville, and welcome to the programme. R9.4 billion generated in the industry, and 17 000 or more people work in it. Where does that put us as an industry in the rest of Africa?

NEVILLE BRINK: South Africa is certainly one of the largest in Africa, certainly one of the most diversified in terms of species. We have a range of species that we fish in South Africa. In North Africa and Morocco and Mauritania [there are] large industries, but they’re very one-sided, mainly pelagic or open ocean. So certainly South Africa is up there with the top fishing nations in Africa.

TINUS DE JAGER: So where does that money go, that R9.4 billion- plus? Is it fairly divided or are we still seeing that the smaller fisherman, the subsistence fisherman is struggling? We see so much poverty along the coast.

NEVILLE BRINK: Tinus, we’ve just come through a fact process with government, and it’s not completed. There’s an appeal system that’s happening now. But I think government has been very pragmatic in the way that they’ve allocated the quota. The industry is very capital-intensive, with large vessels and large factories where you need large amounts of capital to become competitive or remain competitive with the international industry.

So they try to balance it and I think they’ve achieved a very nice balance that encourages, in particular, the smaller species where you don’t need a high-capital intensive vessel, a row-boat or a Chucky like in West Coast rock lobster. They’ve allocated a lot more to the small-scale fishermen along the coastline. So my compliments to DAFF [Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment]. I think they’ve done a good job in trying to balance socioeconomic needs and keeping the industry competitive worldwide.

TINUS DE JAGER: So are we still working with permits? A subsistence fisherman can apply for a permit from the local authority. It’s not a central or even provincial government process. But legislation is being developed to make this process more formal and general. How long will we have to wait to see this happen?

NEVILLE BRINK: Tough question. Government is developing what they call a subsistence fishermen policy, and they’ve asked small communities along the coastline to remain competitive and reliable. It’s not something they can do on their own. They have to involve the existing fishing industry.

Oceana has been working very closely with government. We have a Marine Academy in Hout Bay which in the last year has trained over 600 subsistence fishermen in the Eastern Cape, in the KwaZulu-Natal area, in the Northern Cape – and the last one will be in the Western Cape – to give them the skills. One thing you can’t teach them is fishing. They know, they’ve been born fishermen.

But what we were trying to do is develop the skills of how to extract the fish from the sea, get it into a form that’s saleable, freeze it, get it to the market, receive the cash from the customers and manage a business. That’s where the skills need to be.

We’ve worked very closely with government to develop this. This is not something you’re going to do quickly. It has been tried in the past and failed. I think they are being a lot more careful about how they manage this process, and it’s going to have to be done with industry and the regulators the likes of Samsa [South Africa Maritime Safety Authority] in terms of skills, training on how to operate a vessel safely and without losing lives, and with banks, ourselves and industry. So it’s a slow process. I know there’s a lot of pressure on government and [Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Barbara] Creecy, but they certainly have started and Oceana is working very closely with them. We’ll continue this this next year.

TINUS DE JAGER: Neville, in your article you speak of good management of the resource. Are you referring specifically to deep-sea fishing or of the coastal waters as well?

NEVILLE BRINK: Generally DAF manages the deep-sea species extremely well. It is managed on a scientific basis. They’ve got very highly qualified scientists who evaluate the resource and determine how much is viable to take out annually. The difficulty they have is in particular is with the in-shore species like abalone and West Coast rock lobster, where you simply need a pair of goggles or a rowboat, and you can go out and harvest that.

The coastline is so extensive that they simply don’t have the manpower to police every little nook and cranny. That’s where unfortunately I think we as an industry and government are failing. We haven’t got it under control.

Abalone is a case in point and unfortunately I think abalone has passed the stage of no return. Poaching is continuing unabated. They can’t get control of it.

Both abalone and the Coast lobsters are highly valuable species, mainly exported to the Far East. There are syndicates that are involved in the poaching and it’s very difficult for the local inspectors to get it under control. So I am concerned about West Coast rock lobster.

The TAC [total allowable catch] has been cut over the last five years, every single year. It’s very small now. The commercial industry is being managed very well – the bigger commercial industry.

It is a function of the conditions they find themselves in. They poach to feed themselves, which is sad but a reality. So I am concerned about the in-shore species, not about the deep-sea fish.

TINUS DE JAGER: Thank you, Neville. That was Neville Brink, general manager at Oceana.