The attempt by the DFFE to list Trout as Invasive.
Most readers are aware that in 2023 the Constitutional Court ruled in favour of FOSAF after the matter had been first heard in the High Court and then the Supreme Court of Appeal. This was an important victory promoting the right to informed consultation. The details of these three court cases may be viewed here.
Following representations by FOSAF through Trout SA and Aquaculture SA, Barbara Creecy, the then Minister of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries & Environment set up a Task Team which includes FOSAF to try and resolve how trout could best be managed under NEMBA. We believe that substantial progress has been made in finding a workable win win. Unfortunately, DFFE were unable to access the maps agreed in the mapping process that took place between 2014 and 2017, detailing the areas in which trout occur. Fortunately, FOSAF with the financial assistance (somewhere around R300K) of mainly the NTA (Northern Trout Association) funds which works very closely with us, had developed and secured its own copy of these maps and the underlying meta data. This has helped with ensuring that all the detailed mapping work did not have to be redone. FOSAF continues to play an ongoing role in the Task Team.
The draft Aquaculture Development Bill.
According to FOSAF and Trout SA this proposed Bill has little to do with development and rather is aimed at state control. It is our view that aquaculture is simply a form of farming. It should not be the responsibility of the DFFE, but it should rather fall under the Department of Agriculture. The draft Bill proposes that all aquaculture undertakings, should be registered and licenced and subjected to inspection. Moreover, it appears that this will include the hundreds of trout destinations who stock trout. Why this form of agriculture should be licenced and strictly controlled and how the Bill will be financed are questions still to be answered by the DFFE. This is no doubt yet another attempt by government to increase its control over every facet of business while attempting to levy the costs from the businesses they target. Both FOSAF and the NTA have engaged with the DFFE on the matter for several years at great cost to these NGOs with little progress made so far. The Bill has been through a number of revisions, and we wait to see whether our concerns have been addressed.
To read the Draft Bill click here.
National Freshwater (Inland) Wild Capture Policy 2022.
FOSAF has also engaged with government on this matter. Our waterways and the species dependant on them are in a very fragile state due to large scale pollution, abstraction and riparian zone damage. South Africa’s freshwater systems are thus vulnerable and many of our aquatic species are endangered and slow breeding which contributes to relatively low productivity. Hence these freshwaters do not lend themselves to sustainable commercial fishing. All attempts at developing this kind of fishery have so far have failed including the fishery at Bloemhof Dam and the research finding at Vanderkloof also appears to confirm this lack of productivity.
However, government appears to be pressing ahead regardless of obvious risks with the development of such fisheries with vociferous support from some small-scale fishery bodies. As yet there is no indication as to how these projects will be funded or made sustainable while at the same time the government is unable to control the growing problem of illegal netting of our waterways. Further discussions are ongoing in efforts to find suitable and appropriate ways of implementing this policy and finding the balance necessary for sustainable development and conserving this delicate resource.
To read the policy click here.
The new draft National Environmental: Biodiversity Bill of 2024.
Well known Durban attorney Ian Cox has commented on this draft NEM:BA which the DFFE proposes will replace the NEM:BA of 2004. His comments which are highly critical of this draft Bill and may be read at: https://www.fosaf.org.za/read-Archives-457.php. It is therefore the duty of FOSAF to evaluate the proposed legislation and compare it to the existing Act and pass comment on it which like all similar work is a lengthy, detailed and costly process.
Note that the above short updates are only some of the ways involving legislation and policy affecting flyfishing in which FOSAF renders services to the Flyfishing community. For the full list and FOSAF’s many achievements since 1986 please go to: https://www.fosaf.org.za/milestones.php; and
https://www.fosaf.org.za/environmental.php.
We would welcome your support in working with us to continue these many ways in which we protect flyfishing and the aquatic environment. To Join FOSAF please go to: https://www.fosaf.org.za/join.php.
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