Question NW2353 to the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment
30 October 2020 - NW2353
Winkler, Ms HS to ask the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment
On what data will her Department set up a meeting to discuss shark fishing quotas, considering that shark numbers are dwindling and that catch-and-release has shown B cause slow and painful death by drowning according to studies?
Reply:
There has been no date set by this Department to specifically discuss 6hark quotas or allocations as yet. Previously, rights in the Demersal Shark Longline sector were allocated by the then Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fi9henes in 2013 and will be expiring at the end of 2020. A Total Applied Effort(TAE) of 5 vessels was allocated in the sector previously.
In May 2020, the Minister appointed an Expert Panel to formally review South Africa's National Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks (NPOA-Sharks). The Panel was mandated to, among other things, focus on alignment with the International Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks (lPOA-Sharks) of the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), as well as to advise regarding progress on the current plan. The Expert Panel must also make recommendations on the plan generally with a view to improving it and ensuring its proper implementation so as to ensure the Department’s commitment to the long-term sustainable consumptive and non-consumptive use of the species. The Panel is expected to provide the Minister with a report by mid-November 2020
Regards
MS B D CREECY, MP
MINISTER 0F FORESTRY, FISHERIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT
DATE: 30/10/2020