27 September 2016
The Fishing Rights Allocation Process (FRAP) will be at the helm of discussions at the Masifundise Development Trust (MDT) and Coastal Links South Africa (CLSA) national workshop taking place this week.
70 delegates, representing some 4 000 small-scale fishers from about 100 coastal communities and four provinces, are meeting at the Fountains Hotel in the City from Monday 26 September to Friday 30 September.Roblox HackBigo Live Beans HackYUGIOH DUEL LINKS HACKPokemon Duel HackRoblox HackPixel Gun 3d HackGrowtopia HackClash Royale Hackmy cafe recipes stories hackMobile Legends HackMobile Strike Hack
The marginalisation of the small-scale sector in the linefish and trekfish allocations earlier this year, in favour of the commercial sector, is coming under scrutiny. The workshop will decide on a course of action.
“The allocation of adequate fishing baskets is a major bone of contention. As things stand, the small-scale sector is being given a raw deal,” Sithembiso Gwaza of Masifundise commented.
At the same time, the fishers have to consider their role in the implementation of the small-scale fisheries policy. The Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) is managing that process.
For the most part, the workshop serves as a training session for small-scale fishers to familiarise themselves with the concept of forming and running Co-operatives under the policy.
Cooperatives have been chosen by DAFF to be the community based legal entity for small-scale fishers, where rights will be entrusted to. To prepare small-scale fishers for this, MDT will give knowledge to fishers about cooperatives.
“These cooperatives will serve as a focal point of job creation for women, men and youth at municipal level, hence, the empowerment of cooperatives for our fishers, continued Sithembiso.
Masifundise will provide additional training and skills development within several key areas pertaining to the operation of cooperatives, including legal, financial and logistical considerations.
The training is aimed at the empowerment of fishers so that they are able to build sustainable livelihoods and achieve broader social justice.
Amongst the delegates will be fishers residing in and adjacent to the Dwesa-Cwebe Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the Eastern Cape and Isimangaliso Wetlands Park. These fishers have been adversely affected by the regulations controlling the usage of and accessing of land and marine resources in Marine Protected Areas. Dwesa-Cwebe and Langebaan fishers are currently engaged in court action over access to marine resources in MPAs in line with their customary rights.
The workshop will further assess the implementation of the MDT and CLSA Strategic Plan that was adopted at the 2015 Annual General Meeting.
Masifundise Development Trust is a public benefit organisation that acts as the secretariat of CLSA.
ENDS
Issued by:
Masifundise Development Trust (MDT) and Coastal Links South Africa (CLSA),
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