Sustainable Livelihoods and Marine Resources: How Does South Africa’s Policy for the Small-Scale Fisheries Sector Consider Current Challenges on the Ground?

The document examines the tension between marine resource sustainability and poverty alleviation for small-scale fishers in South Africa. It analyzes the 2012 Policy for the Small Scale Fisheries Sector, noting that while it formally recognizes small-scale fishers and introduces community-based co-management and local monitors, it fails to address provincial variations, the lack of enforcement power for monitors, and the disconnect between government departments like DAFF and the dti. A case study of Hamburg highlights the failure of a 2002-2004 abalone permit pilot project and the ongoing prevalence of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which threatens both ecosystems and legal livelihoods.

• The 2012 Policy for the Small Scale Fisheries Sector formally recognizes small-scale fishers as participants in commercial activity and mandates the appointment of a local monitor in each community, though it remains unclear if these monitors have the power to arrest or issue fines.
• Post-Apartheid efforts to transform the fisheries sector through the Marine Living Resource Act (MLRA) were counterproductive because permit reallocation often favored new entrants with better credit or business skills over historically active black fishers.
• A pilot project in Hamburg (2002–2004) to implement community-based co-management of abalone failed because permit holders lacked the power to stop outside poachers and questioned the legitimacy of the allocation process.
• Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, particularly of abalone, causes significant economic loss to South Africa, with poaching of abalone and crayfish costing the economy nearly $80 million annually.
• The 2012 policy is criticized for being biased toward the Western Cape and Northern Cape provinces, as decision-makers are concentrated there and do not fully understand the contexts of other provinces like the Eastern Cape or KwaZulu-Natal.
• There is a lack of coordination between the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) and the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti), leading to confusion and community division regarding the formation of legal entities and co-operatives.

APA

Stern, M. (2013). Sustainable Livelihoods and Marine Resources: How Does South Africa’s Policy for the Small-Scale Fisheries Sector Consider Current Challenges on the Ground? South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Occasional-Paper-166.pdf

Chicago

Stern, Michelle. Sustainable Livelihoods and Marine Resources: How Does South Africa’s Policy for the Small-Scale Fisheries Sector Consider Current Challenges on the Ground? South African Institute of International Affairs, 2013. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Occasional-Paper-166.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Stern |first1=Michelle |title=Sustainable Livelihoods and Marine Resources: How Does South Africa’s Policy for the Small-Scale Fisheries Sector Consider Current Challenges on the Ground? |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=November 2013 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Occasional-Paper-166.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stern2013sustainable, author = {Stern, Michelle}, title = {{Sustainable Livelihoods and Marine Resources: How Does South Africa’s Policy for the Small-Scale Fisheries Sector Consider Current Challenges on the Ground?}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2013}, month = nov, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Occasional-Paper-166.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }