Excellent news from FOSAF for all South Africans who should be consulted by government, including the whole trout value chain and our flyfishing community.
The Supreme Court of Appeal has refused the Minister of Environmental Affairs’ application for leave to appeal the judgement obtained by FOSAF in the in the case about the Minister’s duty to provide sufficient information to allow for informed consultation. This refers specifically to the department’s attempt to list trout as invasive. It confirms what the minister and department refuse to accept, namely that an environmental right is a human right, and that proper consultation requires people to be properly informed. The failure to respect this means that most of South Africa’s biodiversity regulations are fatally flawed and subject to challenge. This is true of both the latest Alien and Invasive Species Regulations as well as the new Tops regulations that were promulgated on 3 Feb this year. To read the order from the Supreme Court of Appeal please click here.
FOSAF thanks all those who have supported our efforts to help the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment get this right.
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