Commencing in the 1890's, the demersal trawl fishery (deep-sea and inshore sectors) is South Africa's most important fishery and, for the last decade, it has accounted for approximately one half of the wealth generated from commercial fisheries. In the 1960's foreign distant water fleets moved into the Southeast Atlantic, leading to substantial over-exploitation of demersal fish stocks off South Africa and Namibia. The International Commission for the Southeast Atlantic Fisheries ("ICSEAF") was established in 1972 in an attempt to control the rapidly escalating fishery. But it was only the declaration of the 200nm Exclusive Economic Zone in 1978 and subsequent exclusion of foreign fleets that enabled South Africa to reclaim its fish resources and begin to rebuild the demersal resources. Until 1978 the demersal fishery was largely unregulated and participants were not restricted by fishing limits. An annual total allowable catch ("TAC") was introduced in 1978 and individual quotas were introduced the following year. The fishery was also formally separated into deep-sea and inshore sectors. The Deep-sea Trawl allocation of the global hake TAC has remained remarkably stable, and between 1978 and 2004 it fluctuated between the levels of 140 000 tons (1979) and 133 000 tons (2004). The two species of Cape hakes contribute 80-90% to trawl catches made on the West Coast (mainly deep-water hake) and 60-80% to trawl catches made on the South Coast (mainly shallow-water hake). The balance is made up of various by-catch species many of which are utilised, and on average just over 90% of the catch is retained. The hake deep-sea trawling grounds are widespread on the Cape west coast in waters deeper than 200 metres. On the Cape south coast hake deep-sea trawlers may not fish in water depths of less than 110 metres or within 20 nautical miles of the coast, whichever is the greater distance from the coast, and trawling is focused primarily on two fishing grounds.
Sector Facts (FOR SECTOR DETAILS PLEASE EMAIL FEIKE AT ssonday@feike.co.za)
Sector Challenges: Feike's analysis of the allocation of rights and policy objectives for this fishery indicates the following challenges:
- Managing the increasingly vocal international (and local) ecological concerns of trawling;
- Increasing the competitiveness of South African hake on international markets;
- Maintaining MSC certification, particularly with growing gaps in research, management and compliance;
- Reducing effort levels in the fishery, particularly effort creep over the long term;
- Preparing for performance measuring exercises;
- Increasing not only black ownership of the TAC through "internal transformation" but also focusing increasingly on the empowerment of staff, women and the communities in which right holders operate.
Sector Opportunities: Feike believes that the allocation of long-term rights will provide the deep-sea trawl fishery with the following opportunities:
- Consolidation of the number of right holders;
- Strategic co-management relationships with Marine and Coastal Management, particularly with respect to research and management;
- Strengthening of the Industry representative body, particularly to drive the agenda around performance measuring and EAF;
- Using the MSC certification to more effectively market SA hake, notwithstanding a decreasing TAC and growing opposition to trawling, particularly in Europe.
HDST POLICY