Hon House Chairperson, hon Minister, hon Deputy Minister, hon members and guests, April 2010 marks a significant step in the development, management and administration of fisheries for consumptive use, aquaculture and mariculture in South Africa. It is the first time in the history of our nation that these essential productive, economic and food security activities fall under the administration and direction of the Ministry of Agriculture.
In May 2009, the President of the Republic of South Africa significantly reshuffled and restructured the executive Cabinet of the Republic. In terms of this process, the new Departments of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and of Water and Environmental Affairs were created. In June 2009, executive administration over marine fisheries and coastal management, including administration over the Marine and Coastal Management branch, and all legislation administered by this branch was transferred in accordance with section 97 of the Constitution to the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs.
The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries was granted executive control over maritime aquaculture. This required a splitting of marine and coastal management functions and the associated legislative authority in terms of the Marine Living Resources Act, Act 18 of 1998. However, on 6 December 2009, the President confirmed to the South African public that fishery is an economic activity and not a purely environmental one. The President further announced that, following consultation with Cabinet, it had been decided to amend the initial decision to split executive control over Fisheries and that, in due course, the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries would be appointed and would assume sole responsibility for all administration of fisheries for consumptive use, aquaculture and mariculture in the Republic.
Accordingly, on 29 January, Proclamation No 1 of 2010 contained in Government Gazette No 32945 was signed, and all legislative powers and functions assented thereto took effect on 1 April 2010. Owing to an oversight, certain legislative powers and functions related to the Marine Living Resources Act, Act 18 of 1998, and the Integrated Coastal Management Act, Act 24 of 2008, were not appropriately transferred. A process is therefore currently under way to ensure that all Acts and legislative powers and functions related to fisheries for consumption, aquaculture and mariculture are transferred lock, stock and barrel to the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries with immediate effect.
Regarding improving the number of sustainable training and employment opportunities and the overall financial contribution from the consumptive fisheries, aquaculture and mariculture sectors and under the leadership of hon Minister Ms Tina Joemat-Pettersson, the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is about to embark on a number of dynamic initiatives to significantly improve the overall contribution that is annually derived from these sectors of the Republic. These initiatives will include, among other things, I hope, the following. The first initiative is stepping up our collective monitoring, control and surveillance capacity and technology, in partnership with all security cluster ministers and agencies, to eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities generally and, in particular, poaching and illicit marketing streams. The second initiative involves employing internationally recognised specialists to conduct a complete value-chain analysis of each of South Africa's 22 commercial fishery sectors over the next 12 months, to ensure that our fisheries' workforce, industry, fiscus, and the nation as a whole in a developing economy enjoy maximum benefit and financial advantage from our natural marine resource base. Notably, we will work in partnership with industry to ensure that the contribution from the value-adding of raw South African fish produce is significantly enhanced, while promoting stronger direct relationships between industry and local foreign retailers.
The third initiative entails creating the necessary framework to substantially attract and encourage significant investment in the emergent aquaculture, mariculture and ranch farming sectors - that is, the marine, estuarine and land-based sectors of our economy - with particular emphasis on investment, training and skills development within the economies of our rural, inland and coastal communities.
The fourth initiative is employing specialist expertise to conduct an in- depth empowerment audit of the fisheries sector, to ensure that the agenda set for transformation and skills transference at all levels of industry - small, medium and large - is appropriately achieved throughout the value chain. In this regard, we note that, while stability in the industry must be strictly maintained at all times, there is an urgent need to ensure that the ownership of access to the billions generated annually from our nation's natural marine resource base must increasingly become more demographically representative of South African society, with specific emphasis on the poorest of the poor.
The last initiative entails rapidly working towards the conclusion of official policy to accommodate the broad-based empowerment interests of small fishers from traditional coastal fishing communities.
The allocation of long-term fishing rights in 2005 has brought with it considerable levels of transformation and the stability required to encourage investment in the medium and large sectors of the fishing economy. However, the plight of the poor and, in particular, the human and constitutional rights of bona fide traditional fishers, has not been appropriately accommodated, Minister. These customs, cultural traditions and heritage that have been in practice for centuries must be restored with increased but sustainable access, in particular to national marine resources that occur on the doorstep of small-scale fishers from our coastal communities. In the short to medium term, this will be achieved by the balanced review and negotiated amendment of policy allocations and legislation.
It is therefore pleasing to note that the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and Marine and Coastal Management remain committed to conditionally lifting the suspension over commercial abalone fishing in Hamburg in the Eastern Cape and in Hermanus. This is urgent, Minister. It is also urgent in Hermanus. The President, the Minister, and the Minister of Environmental Affairs were there. It is urgent. Lifting the suspension will ensure the imminent restoration of up to 1 000 sustainable livelihood opportunities for coastal community breadwinners and their dependants, with significant potential to increase these opportunities in the medium to long term.
The reopening of the abalone fishery is informed by the international peer- reviewed scientific report of the Abalone Working Group on the current status of abalone stock, with strategic recommendations to support the resource's ability to recover.
The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has also committed itself to a significant investment in the establishment of a state hatchery to culture and reseed the abalone resource and fishing zones that have hitherto been illicitly plundered. In consultation with all abalone rights holders, Minister, your department is also working currently towards the establishment of an abalone recovery development council, a duly representative body to be established in accordance with sections 5 and 6 of the Marine Living Resources Act, Act 18 of 1998.
The nominated representatives of the council will represent a wide range of scientific, academic, industry, community and socioeconomic expertise, that will work strategically towards developing a new abalone governance and management framework that will: firstly, guide the reopening of the abalone fishery; secondly, facilitate stock recovery; thirdly, sustain livelihoods; fourthly, establish strong institutional structures; fifthly, ensure the long-term sustainability of the fisheries; and, finally, minimise illegal exploitation with an intelligence-driven approach that isolates syndicates, illicit racketeers and poachers from the social base in coastal communities through co-operative management structures and community mobilisation under a policy of zero tolerance.
In association with coastal community mobilisation and the strategic security cluster initiative referred to above, the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Marine and Coastal Management Unit are confident that the difficulties experienced in abalone fishery, and illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing generally in South Africa can be overcome. The statistics on fishing are misleading.
The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and Marine and Coastal Management are also confident that the gap between the interests of the wealthy and of the poor in the fishing industry can, and will be, positively addressed, particularly by the rapid conclusion of official policy to accommodate the bona fide interests of small-scale fishers. This is essential if our people, especially the poor and marginalised, are to benefit and share in the wealth of our country generated through our natural marine resources.
These initiatives are doomed to failure if we do not combat the tendencies of fronting and the sale of fishing rights. In this regard, I propose that the sale of fishing rights and fronting in this industry be investigated. I thank you, Chairperson. [Time expired.] [Applause.]