Chairperson of the extended public committee, Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson, all protocol has been observed. In debating any Budget Vote, we are in essence looking at the political and economic contexts in which a Budget Vote is delivered. This is a necessary consideration as it provides us, as public representatives, with an understanding of how the ANC-led government is reversing past imbalances and creating a better life for all, using the budget as an instrument for change.
This Vote of funds must be debated in the context of being a political and financial instrument that the ANC-led government uses to ensure that its policy programmes are operationalised through the allocation of financial resources - appropriation - to the programmes and projects for which the department is responsible.
This Vote is a reflection of an outcomes-centred public spending approach. Most importantly for those who have an oversight responsibility, this Vote of funds must be used as a tool to evaluate the financing of key policy objectives. The challenge is to evaluate whether the Vote matches up to the strategic plan of the department, the macroeconomic perspectives of government, and the requirements of ANC policies, and gives substance to the government's five-year plan.
The Vote is a critical tool to track the 100-year-old ANC. The Vote is a critical tool to track priorities that the department set itself, in terms of delivery designed to meet national, provincial and local policy responsibilities, as well as constitutional responsibilities.
In order to do this, the point of departure must be whether this Vote is consistent with government policy. Here, I shall specifically refer to the programme in this Vote that deals with fisheries.
The ANC believes that the natural resources of South Africa, including marine resources, belong to all the people of the country and should be managed and developed to the benefit of the country as a whole. [Applause.] South Africa's rich marine resources make a major contribution to the alleviation of poverty in coastal communities. Over the years the ANC sought to improve the quality of life in coastal communities by restoring rights of access to marine resources, by increasing employment opportunities and by improving health conditions in the industry, particularly with regard to income, health and safety and job security.
With the implementation of policy come challenges. These challenges have been extreme in fishing communities as the reconstruction of the marine and fisheries sector has taken root. Years of established bad practices have come up against the need for the ANC-led government to rebuild the industry and the institutions managing marine resources so as to achieve its policy objectives. Ownership of marine resources must be vested in the state as the custodian of the people, and the rights to utilise the resource must be equitably allocated. [Applause.]
The policy intention is clear. The ANC-led government wishes to encourage the sustainable use of marine resources to ensure optimal long-term social and economic benefits. The fishing sector in particular has to be developed as an integral component of a general development strategy for coastal areas. For this to be achieved, transparent and accountable administration of marine resources has to take place. This has been the greatest challenge, hon Minister.
The implementation of ANC-led government policy has exposed just how complex this sector is, structured by both centuries and decades of particular practices, most of which had no policy basis in a new democratic order, but were, rather, steeped in both culture and tradition, which are important for the ANC. But, on the other hand, instances of capital accumulation have resulted in some of the worst cases of corrupt practices, which ANC policy has sought to eradicate, and which, had we left them alone, would have led to the collapse of the sector - a plundering of resources in the fishing industry and the survival of the most corrupt.
A discussion on the redistribution of fishing rights was always going to be and has proven to be a double-edged sword. In terms of the principle of working together with the people, we not only do more but we solve challenges together and build capacity together to ensure both growth and development.
In principle, access rights should be allocated as closely as possible to those actually doing the fishing. Licensing systems historically have been highly problematic in that they have granted many commercial licences to a privileged few. ANC policy seeks to protect and advance the interests of those who are dependent on fishing for a livelihood - protecting their interests. [Applause.]
Promoting stability in the sector means dealing effectively with access rights, quotas on species, the monitoring of complications in respect of performance, and the allocation of longer-term quotas. Most importantly, the rights of coastal communities, small-scale and artisanal fishers must be protected. Restructuring and transformation must be accompanied by capacity-building and support for previously disadvantaged fishers and fishing communities. I'm talking of the poorest of the poor.
Restructuring the sector is a precondition for things to happen. The medium- term to long-term objective is to ensure both sustainable and economically thriving communities, whilst, at the same time, ensuring optimal utilisation of marine resources. Central to this is the realignment of administrative and operational activities of the Marine Living Resources Fund, MLRF.
The Marine Living Resources Fund finances the operations of the Marine and Coastal Management Programme, which is responsible for managing the development and sustainable use of South Africa's marine and coastal resources, as well as protecting the integrity and quality of its marine and coastal ecosystems. Whilst falling within the ambit of the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, it receives its own budget from the National Treasury and this needs to be urgently reviewed.
Further restructuring needs to be informed by a review of the Marine Coastal Management Act. This should, equally, address the incorporation directly of marine coastal management into a division of the department, as opposed to the detached entity it currently is, such as the old order of sea fisheries.
Critically, the Marine Living Resources Act has not adequately addressed diversity in small-scale fisheries, and in terms of governing-party policy, the Act has not taken into account the contribution to poverty eradication and food security by the small-scale fishing sector. For example - and this is very important to this Vote - the department should ensure that the much- acclaimed small-scale fishing policy must have measurable targets as we move towards its adoption.
Amongst other things, these must include, but not be limited to, the following: 90% of all near-shore marine resources must be within 25 nautical miles of our coastlines' high-water mark; 25,1% of the full remainder of all South Africa's 22 commercial fishing sector resources, including 50,1% of the use of all harbour-related leases and tourism facilities, must be exclusively reserved for the direct benefit of poor coastal community co-operatives and credible broad-based black economic empowerment structures.
Under the ANC's accelerated multitrillion infrastructure investment strategy, we should establish a marine projects financing facility, such as the Land Bank - or Fish Bank - in Agriculture, to enable our coastal community fishing co-operatives and broad-based black economic empowerment structures to acquire fishing infrastructure such as vessels and processing facilities in order to competently execute their fishing quotas.
In addition, the infrastructure investment strategy should establish co- operative marine produce marketing structures that will secure maximum financial advantage from the local and foreign market value chain for all South African marine produce, in particular marine produce from community co-operative structures within coastal fishing communities.
The Marine Living Resources Act, MLRA, and permit conditions must be reviewed to ensure the protection of all men and women who work in the fishing industry on land and sea. These workers must enjoy the same rights as all other workers under the Labour Relations Act and the Basic Conditions of Employment Act.
The publication in the Government Gazette of the small-scale fisheries policy in September 2010, after a period of consultation, opened up debate on both what still needed to be transformed and what needed to be restructured. The concerns at that stage were that whilst the policy sought to address critical long-standing grievances, operationalising these draft policies was going to be the main challenge. In addition, looking at the small-scale fisheries sector without addressing the impacts and contradictions this has for the small-scale fishing sector would result in a deepening of these contradictions. Other concerns raised with the 2010 draft list were: timelines of the draft policy document; the review process of quotas; long-term fishing rights; multispecies; zonal fishing; financing structures; and, finally, the setting up of a co-operative for the fishing sector.
The National Economic Development and Labour Council, Nedlac, process that has been undertaken over the past two years has had an influence on the February 2012 redrafted policy on the small-scale fisheries sector. We would encourage the department to ensure that there is widespread public participation on the contents of the 2012 draft.
Finally, we also welcome the Minister's announcement of considering a committee or commission of inquiry to investigate the evil of fronting. [Applause.] We encourage the Minister to go even further and ensure that our poor fisherfolk, who lost their quotas and were treated fraudulently, are financially compensated by the state and that the culprits are brought to book. [Applause.]
In conclusion, fish farming and/or aquaculture need to be extended to add to the limited marine and inland resources in order to actively promote job creation and food security for the poorest of the poor. Chairperson, the ANC supports Budget Vote 26: Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. I thank you. [Applause.]