Honourable Minister
I would like to dedicate my speech today to the forgotten people of South Africa – our fishermen.
Minister, when you think fishermen, you think of the big companies that you say you want to transform. When I think about fishermen, I think about the people that go out to sea that were born into a fishermen family and know nothing else than fishing to survive. This is different to the big companies.
These are the real fishermen. These are the people that go out at 4 in the morning and fish to feed their family. They know from experience where the fish are biting and it’s in the early hours of the morning. They have been doing this for centuries. They are the people that know fish don’t keep office hours. When you wake up in the morning they are on the way back from sea.
I put it to you Minister that you and your Department have effectively criminalised finishing by not allowing these people to fish in the morning in order to look after their families.
When the DA takes over I will fight that we have a boat recapitalisation project so we may replace the old dilapidated and dangerous boats, like the TAXI recapitalisation project, with new boats so they can get to the fishing grounds safer and faster.
We will also put in place a system to allocate the fishing rights or quotas to the real fishers not gangsters or people from Gauteng that are hairdressers or well-connected ANC cadres that have never fished.
We would bring back the very successful green courts and a specialised unit to deal with poaching. Up to date you and the department have turned a blind eye. This blind eye has fuelled poaching to the levels they are today.
We will open up the tender processes to the public for confiscated abalone and we will ring fence the proceeds to the crime-fighting units and not allow it to be used to supplement the nice to haves for the department. The mere fact that this process is secret is the reason why you the minister, the Deputy Director-General for fisheries and the corrupt ex-president could be implicated in the kickback scam. There are allegations that the now re-instated Director-General was persecuted and fired by you is as a direct result of the initiation of this investigation of kickbacks and corruption.
We will also streamline the recreational and other fishing licences and will issue plastic cards that could be applied for online. Thus, cutting costs and ensuring better control.
We would hand over the management of Fishing harbour to local authorities for the better management and upkeep as the Constitution dictates.
We would recognise the skills and abilities of our fishermen in educational institutions so they may be able to qualify and may be recognised for their skill, to be better and safer boatsmen and fishermen.
Minister on behalf of the fishing community, all I ask of you is that they be treated and recognised as equals and honourable fishermen. It is totally in your power to do this by the stroke of your pen. Why have you not done this minister?
It is not difficult. Why are you treating them as second-class citizens when you know we are contributing to the economy and food security in our communities and for the country.
I thank you.