Welcome to the Masifundise Development Trust Weekly Update of the year. This information sheet is published every Wednesday and distributed via our database, our website and social media. It provides information on the work of Masifundise and Coastal Links South Africa.
Wednesday 23 July 2014
WWF- SA Small-Scale Fisheries Learning Journey Initiative
The World Wide Fund of South Africa (WWF – SA ) is undertaking a two day learning excursion to West Coast fishing communities.
Representatives from Masifundise and Coastal Links as well as leading retailers are part of the programme, which is taking place today and tomorrow – 23 and 24 July.
Participants will discuss the small-scale fishing sector and look at ways in which it can be supported and strengthened.
This initiative will see retailers and small-scale fishing communities exchanging knowledge about the challenges and opportunities that small scale fisheries in South Africa present retailers and other major players in the seafood supply chain.
The learning journey offers a unique opportunity for the retailers to engage with small-scale fishing communities and look at ways in which they can support them in their efforts to create sustainable fisheries and livelihoods through Fisheries improvement projects, which many retailers have made commitments of supporting.
For more information on the work of WWF-SA visit:
Budget Speech Vote on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries gives little detail on the small-scale fisheries sector
The minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Mr Senzeni Zokwana, delivered his first budget vote speech, last week Wednesday.
Most of the speech covered matters related to agriculture while important issues of the botched Fishing Rights Allocation process and the implementation of the small-scale fisheries policy were short on detail.
The Minister did say though that the implementation of the SSF policy “will be the second element of transformation to ensure that coastal and fishing communities gain access to marine resources. This should contribute to their livelihoods”.
For the full speech, see link below
DA wants Langebaan Coastal Links chair to brief parliament
A DA member of the Fisheries portfolio committee responded to the Minister’s budget speech by focusing a wide range of issues.
MP Zelda Jongbloed briefly refers to fisheries in Langebaan and makes vague allegations about “possible corruption and Maladministration in the name of co-operative management by Coastal Links/Masifundisi.
Possible illegal action include unilateral removal of the names of relief fishers from the official relief lobster list; refusing rights holders access to contracts concluded in their names, refusal to hold proper AGMs, refusing right-holders the right to harvest their own catch, turning them into mere paper quota-holders. We need to get Solene Smith of Coastal Links Langebaan to come and explain to this committee.
Though the allegations are general and vague, CLSA and Masifundise will nonetheless prepare a full response soon.
Read her response here
: http://feikemanagement.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-das-response-to-ministers-budget.html
SSF Policy Handbook – a focus on Multispecies approach to allocating fishing rights
MDT and CLSA are constantly creating awareness and informing small-scale fishing communities about their rights and issues that directly affect their livelihoods.
This week, we focus on the Multi Species Approach to allocating fishing rights – here the policy handbook briefly explains the criteria for the allocation of the multi species basket and how the basket areas are divided along the South Africa coastline, see page 10 of the handbook.
Read More:
https://www.masifundise.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/SSFpolicyENG1.pdf