An emergency meeting is scheduled on Friday to address the problem faced by hundreds of angry South African Line Fishermen who were left jobless after the Fisheries Department failed to renew their fishing permits.
The association says its members are facing major job losses because of the failure by government to allocate sufficient rights to them, the SABC reported.
“This caught us totally by surprise. Emotions are running high. My aim is to try to keep the emotions objective. I am asking the guys to act responsibly. We will fight for them and find a way forward,” says Association Chair, Wally Croome.
The fishermen are expected to decide whether to approach the Western Cape High Court for an urgent interdict against the Agriculture Department’s decision to deny them fishing rights.
The Commercial Linefish Association has accused government of excluding the majority of commercial line fishermen in the awarding of traditional Line Fish Rights.
The last rights allocations were made in 2005. Of the nearly 3500 applications received last year, only around 600 were successful.
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries started issuing the rights just a few days ago after old permit rights expired on New Year’s Eve. It says 115 of the 303 active permits have been retained from the previous holders.
A further 100 new entrants have been added to the list. Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries started issuing the rights just a few days ago.
Fisherman, Rudi Pullen, says: “Look I am blind, so I do not know where I am going to get work in the future. I have to pay for my home and I only know how to fish.”
Chairperson of PE Handline Fishing Forum, Alwyn Kotze, says: “We would like the department to review the whole landline application forms and to explain to us what has happened because they have taken away hundreds of permits from existing right holders and they have given 100 new entrants permits.”
He says that they have invested and that they have gotten permission from the department to build new boats. “I have invested half a million rand in a new boat.”