In a statement the minister states that the authorities are opposing the court application brought by several commercial rights holders who are attempting to thwart government’s efforts to provide interim relief to subsistence fishers pending the finalisation of the policy which will result in the allocation of rights to subsistence fishers.
The government swing to action after the West Coast Rock Lobster Association has instituted legal proceedings in the Cape Town High Court against the department and 1 242 small-scale and subsistence fishers. The reason behind the legal suit was the department wanted to develop the subsistence and small scale fishing policies – the purpose of which was to accommodate the bona fide traditional and subsistence fishermen along the coast.
According to the statement the government hoped for the assistance and support of the west coast rock lobster industry in this process. But these fishermen were geographically widespread and lived in remote areas therefore getting them under on umbrella was quite difficult. In this process of the department was assisted by Masifundise and Coastal Links along with two NGOs that worked in impoverished coastal communities.
