VALUING THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION OF FISHERIES AND OTHER MARINE USES IN SOUTH AFRICA

This report assesses the socio-economic value of South Africa's commercial fisheries—which generated R8.0 billion in wholesale value in 2013—against the potential impacts of marine phosphate mining. It highlights a significant spatial overlap between proposed mining areas and hake and small-pelagic fishing grounds, warning that sediment plumes and exclusion zones could threaten the industry's sustainability and employment.

• In 2013, South Africa's total fishery catch was estimated at 427,734 tons with a wholesale value of R8.0 billion. Fish product exports generated R5.3 billion in 2015. The sector supports an estimated 27,000 direct jobs and between 81,000 and 100,000 indirect jobs in linked industries.
• The demersal trawl fishery (Cape hakes) and pelagic-directed purse-seine fishery (pilchards, anchovy, and red-eye round herring) are the dominant sectors. In 2013, they accounted for approximately 86% of total catch and over 65% of total wholesale value. Together, they represented 47% of fish exports in 2015, with hake products making up 34%.
• The fishery industry is highly capital intensive. Insured assets are valued at R76.7 billion in the deep-sea trawl fishery, R12 billion in the hake inshore trawl fishery, and R2.2 billion in the small-pelagic sector.
• Economic modelling indicates a significant multiplier effect for the fishery sector. An intermediate model suggests that every R1 in exogenous demand for fishery products generates an additional R1.60 in output and a net increase in domestic household income of R0.70.
• There is a significant spatial overlap between proposed marine phosphate mining sites and active fishing grounds. Between 2000 and 2014, an average of 77% of the demersal-trawl catch occurred within prospecting areas. For the small-pelagic sector, an average of 10% of the catch (2010–2015) fell within proposed mining sites.
• Marine phosphate mining poses several environmental and operational risks to fisheries, including the deterioration of water quality due to sediment plumes and the physical destruction of benthic communities. Additionally, mining operations create exclusion zones that limit access to fishing grounds.
• The economic viability of marine phosphate mining is subject to high technology costs and world price volatility. While the world price of phosphate peaked at US$430 per ton in 2008, it was US$115/ton in February 2016.
• Employment benefits from marine mining may be limited for the host country due to the specialized nature of the work. In a Namibian proposal, only 11 of 37 on-board positions were expected to be filled by local workers.

APA

Brick, K., & Hasson, R. (n.d.). VALUING THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION OF FISHERIES AND OTHER MARINE USES IN SOUTH AFRICA. Centre for Environmental Rights. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Socio-economic-Report_Web.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Brick, Kerri, and Reviva Hasson. VALUING THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION OF FISHERIES AND OTHER MARINE USES IN SOUTH AFRICA. Centre for Environmental Rights, n.d. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Socio-economic-Report_Web.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Brick |first1=Kerri |last2=Hasson |first2=Reviva |title=VALUING THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION OF FISHERIES AND OTHER MARINE USES IN SOUTH AFRICA |publisher=Centre for Environmental Rights |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Socio-economic-Report_Web.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{brickndvaluing, author = {Brick, Kerri and Hasson, Reviva}, title = {{VALUING THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC CONTRIBUTION OF FISHERIES AND OTHER MARINE USES IN SOUTH AFRICA}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Socio-economic-Report_Web.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }