EXTRACT FROM NCOP budget vote speech for 2010/11 delivered by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ms Tina Joemat-Pettersson, Parliament, Cape Town By sinha on May 22, 2010

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Marine and fisheries coastal management

The integration of the fisheries function has been finalised. We are now one family. Our immediate challenge is to conclude the small-scale fisheries policy. This is important both for food security and sustainable income generation.

Honourable Chairperson, our marine resources are not infinite. It is therefore important for us to develop our inland fisheries capacity through hatcheries to support a vibrant aquaculture sector. In addition, more work will have to be done to explore and exploit the Mari-culture potential.

To this end, an aquaculture demonstration centre is currently being constructed on the Gariep Dam, in the Free State Province with the support of the Chinese government. The centre will provide training and research for the development of our inland fishing opportunities.

We have to address the illegal fishing in the one million sq kilometre of our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). In this regard, government security agencies have come on board to work with us to address this menace. A government cabinet process is at an advanced stage to get approval for the conditional re-opening of the commercial abalone fisheries.

Honourable chairperson, R6 million has been allocated for the interim Social Relief for entities and individuals adversely affected by the previous closure of abalone harvesting. A further R213 million will be invested in job creation opportunities to benefit fishing communities along our coastal provinces. The intension is to develop sustainable coastal livelihoods, eliminate illegal fishing and build fishing infrastructure including the development of hatcheries.

Stakeholder relations

Honourable chairperson, further transforming this country is not going to be easy, but it is necessary and unavoidable. Our doors remain open to all the social players in our sector. An approach is needed to deliver a dignified means of existence for the majority of South Africans. This requires that all stakeholders should keep their doors open and explore all options to find solutions to the sometimes uncomfortable challenges facing us in the sector.

One of our unacknowledged and yet important stakeholders, are the workers in our sector. These are the men and women who work on the farms, forest plantations and the seas. These are the unsung heroes and heroines, who live and work under very difficult circumstances.
They feed the nation yet they do not always have food security.

Honourable chairperson, already we are engaged in a series of Farm Worker Summits unfolding in all provinces and this will culminate in the National Farm Worker Summit in July 2010.

Ons sal alle deelnemers in die landbousektor bymekaar moet bring om saam te besluit oor hoe die landbou, bosbou en viserye bedryf die ekonomie in ons land kan stimuleer. Gesamentlik moet ons werkbare planne op die tafel sit om seker te maak dat almal in ons land, veral die armes, voedsel sekerheid het.