Small-scale fishing operations along the West Coast have secured a significant win after Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Willie Aucamp ruled in favour of appeals lodged by cooperatives in the traditional linefish and West Coast rock lobster sectors. The ruling, announced on Thursday, pertains to the 2026-27 fishing season and has been hailed by fishermen as a critical development safeguarding livelihoods across coastal towns.
Aucamp indicated that while the decision was reached faster than is customary, it followed a thorough examination of all relevant information. "I considered all the facts before me and had to ensure that each appeal was handled thoroughly and legally, in a manner that reflected the department's commitment to fairness, accountability and the sustainable use of South Africa's marine resources," he said.
At the heart of the dispute is the number of vessels permitted to operate. For roughly 16 years, small-scale fishermen worked with 297 boats. However, when formal vessel limits were introduced, only a fraction of these were recognised, leaving many cooperatives unable to deploy their full fleets. Aucamp has now directed that all 297 vessels be reinstated within the permissible total for the upcoming season, while exemptions have been issued to allow fishing to continue during the permit application process.
The minister further upheld appeals in the rock lobster sector, where certain cooperatives had received reduced allocations despite a larger overall quota. The department has been instructed to recalculate the distribution of total allowable catches, and cooperatives may continue operating under exemptions in the interim. Additionally, the rock lobster season has been lengthened from four months to five.
Faez Poggenpoel, a fifth-generation fisherman from Kalkbaai, described the outcome as unprecedented. "If you multiply 297 vessels by about ten crew members per boat, we are talking about more than 15,000 people who are directly dependent on them," he told media.
Aucamp confirmed that further consultations with small-scale fishermen will commence on 1 April to tackle outstanding challenges in the sector, emphasising the need to strike a balance between equitable resource access, historical redress for communities, and the long-term sustainability of the country's marine resources.
