WATCH: Fishers gatvol of TAC limit
Gatvol small scale fishers marched to parliament on Thursday to hand over a memorandum highlighting their plight, saying they are being sidelined and demanding that their total allowed catch (TAC) limit be increased.
They say the department prioritises the large-scale fishing firms and forgets about the small businesses.
The fishers say for the past three years, the Department of Forestry and Fisheries has continuously decreased the kreef TAC limit from over 160 to below 80 this season, resulting in poverty and less business for them.
Hundreds of fishers under the umbrella of Fishers United braved the heat as they walked from District Six to parliament where they handed their grievances to Minister Barbara Creecy, who scolded the marchers.
“The body needs to organise itself better. To have six different organisations in one sector is not a recipe for power but for division,” she said, adding that she will be appointing a permanent departmental representative for small-scale fishers.
She promised to respond to the grievances “in due time”.
Natasha James, the spokesperson for Fishers United, says it was unfair that the poor are driven to deeper poverty while big businesses are enjoying huge profits.
She says many fishers rely on seasonal fishing for a living.
“This is not just a local issue, today we are joined by fishermen from the Northern Cape who can’t keep up with these unreasonable regulations.
“We say enough is enough, we want the same opportunities as the big scale fishers just like they do with the applications, the fees are too high, many of us on the ground cannot afford it. It has to end,” says Natasha.
Fisherman Donovan Williams from Ocean View says he went from making R30 000 per season to between R9000 to R15 000 currently.
nomzamo.yuku@inl.co.za