Achieving an Inclusive Blue Economy for Small-scale Fishers: Recommendations to the South African Parliament

This policy briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs provides recommendations to the South African Parliament on establishing an inclusive blue economy for small-scale fishers. It examines the historical impact of apartheid-era dispossession, the challenges of implementing the 2012 Policy for the Small Scale Fisheries Sector (SSF policy), and the tension between social justice and environmental sustainability in fisheries governance.

• Apartheid-era legislation and spatial strategies caused significant dispossession for black and coloured fishers, including forced evictions from communities like Fish Hoek and Simon’s Town during the 1960s–70s and the transfer of lucrative species rights, such as abalone and rock lobster, to white-owned companies.
• The 2002 and 2005 rights allocation processes saw an increase in ownership by historically disadvantaged individuals to 26% and nearly 40% respectively, but many traditional fishers remained excluded due to complex application procedures and a lack of access to vessels and finance.
• The 2012 Policy for the Small Scale Fisheries Sector (SSF policy) introduced a shift from individual rights to collective rights granted to community-based legal entities, such as co-operatives, trusts, or companies, to promote a more development-oriented approach.
• Implementation of the SSF policy has been hindered by legislative delays and administrative failures; specifically, the MLRA Amendment Act was not passed before long-term traditional linefish rights expired on 31 December 2014, leading to a 2013 rights allocation process that was eventually set aside by the Minister in May 2014 due to poor administration.
• Illegal fishing and poaching of high-value stocks like abalone and rock lobster persist, partly because 'protest fishing' is viewed as a legitimate way to sustain livelihoods in communities excluded by the current rights system.
• The author recommends that the South African Parliament strengthen its oversight role to support the SSF policy, particularly regarding rights allocation for abalone, rock lobster, and linefish, and calls for transparent transformation targets to restore trust and avoid litigation.

APA

Benkenstein, A. (2015). Achieving an Inclusive Blue Economy for Small-scale Fishers: Recommendations to the South African Parliament. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Policy-Briefing-128.pdf

Chicago

Benkenstein, Alex. Achieving an Inclusive Blue Economy for Small-scale Fishers: Recommendations to the South African Parliament. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2015. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Policy-Briefing-128.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Benkenstein |first1=Alex |title=Achieving an Inclusive Blue Economy for Small-scale Fishers: Recommendations to the South African Parliament |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=February 2015 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Policy-Briefing-128.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{benkenstein2015achieving, author = {Benkenstein, Alex}, title = {{Achieving an Inclusive Blue Economy for Small-scale Fishers: Recommendations to the South African Parliament}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2015}, month = feb, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Policy-Briefing-128.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }