Companies active in South Africa’s deep-sea trawling industry have teamed up with the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) and WWF-South Africa to provide an opportunity for new graduates to work in the field of fisheries management, aquaculture, environmental science and related fields.
The South African Deep-Sea Trawling Industry Association (SADSTIA) has announced it is to sponsor eleven paid and structured internships for the period 1st April 2019 to 31st March 2020. The internships will form part of WWF’s highly successful Graduate Internship Programme which aims to provide a practical bridging experience for new graduates to make a career in the field of environmental sciences.
As the only fishery in Africa to be MSC certified as sustainable and well-managed, SADSTIA already works closely with WWF on a range of fisheries improvement projects.
‘Our members recognise that youth unemployment is one of the most serious challenges facing South Africa today and the SADSTIA/DAFF/WWF Internship Programme provides us with an opportunity to make a real difference and assist government,’ said SADSTIA chairman Terence Brown.
‘We hope the programme will give individuals an opportunity to gain valuable work experience, link to professional networks and possibly establish a career in the fishing industry.’
Eight of the 11 SADSTIA/DAFF/WWF interns will be placed at fishing companies and three will be placed at the Fisheries Branch of the DAFF. The Fisheries Branch has a mandate to manage South Africa’s commercial, recreational and subsistence fisheries and it requires a range of skills – including biological and mathematical knowledge, analytical and managerial ability – to name just a few.
DAFF has played a key role in the establishment of the internship programme and representatives of the Department expressed their appreciation for the opportunity of working with SADSTIA and WWF to tackle the critical problem of youth unemployment.
The Department believes the programme will not only provide opportunities and inspiration to to new graduates, but it will help to secure the skills necessary to manage sustainable fisheries into the future. It intends to use the internship programme to build a cohort of young professionals skilled in freshwater aquaculture information management, feed development and animal health and husbandry.
SADSTIA research assistant, Fisokuhle Mbatha, who joined SADSTIA as an intern in April 2017 and was appointed to a full-time position with the Association as soon as her internship was complete, also shared her perspectives at the launch of the SADSTIA/DAFF/WWF Internship Programme.
‘My internship was the ‘mobile starter-pack’ I needed to build my career,’ Fisokuhle Mbatha said.
‘It connected my academic knowledge of fisheries to the real-life work environment. I was offered many opportunities to network with professionals with expertise in marine science and working alongside them has motivated me to be an internationally recognised marine scientist in future.’
Fisokuhle Mbatha holds a Masters Degree in Applied Marine Science from the University of Cape Town.
WWF will call for applications from prospective interns in October. Details of the application procedure will be posted to the SADSTIA website following the public advertisement.
