Subsistence and small-scale fisheries in South Africa: A ten-year review

The Marine Living Resources Act (1998), legally recognised subsistence fishers and made provision for the declaration of coastal areas for their exclusive use. In 2001, a limited commercial fisheries sector was created. These changes indicated government's commitment to addressing the historical marginalisation of small-scale fishers.Although some progress has been made in establishing institutional arrangements and management systems for this sector, the granting of access rights to poor fishers has been complex and slow. Key problems relate to the individual rights-based approach to fisheries allocations, the criteria developed for classifying fishers and resources suitable for their use, lack of a clear policy directive with regard to the contribution of small-scale fisheries to addressing food insecurity and poverty and the sectoral approach to small-scale fisheries management in South Africa.