Question NW819 to the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment

Singh, Mr N to ask the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment

(1) Considering that the Small-scale Fisheries Policy (SSFP) stipulates that small-scale fishing rights is the right to catch different species of fish near the shore and such rights are allocated to communities and not to individuals, and noting that the SSFP also states that fishing communities must apply to her to be recognised as small-scale fishing communities and once membership is verified, then the Government will assist to register them as community-based legal entities, how is her department (a) accommodating subsistence fishers who do not form part of a fishing community, other than issuing recreational licensing and (b) assisting members of the communities to acquire the necessary skills to (i) run legal entities and (ii) serve on co-management structures?