Question NW2689 to the Minister of Environmental Affairs
31 October 2017 - NW2689
Singh, Mr N to ask the Minister of Environmental Affairs
(a) What number of illegal incursions by foreign fishing vessels into South Africa’s 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone occurred in the past five years, (b) in each case, (i) what is the name of the vessel, (ii) from what state do they originate, (iii) what actions were taken against such vessels and (iv) what penalties were imposed and (b) what are the full relevant details of the current state of readiness of the country to prevent and police such incursions should they occur in the future?
Reply:
a) A total number of fourteen (14) foreign fishing vessels entered into South Africa’s 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone illegally during the past five years.
b) (i) and (ii)
1. Bahari Nusantara number 83, China;
2. Bahari Nusantara number 19, China;
3. Bahari Nusantara number 5, China;
4. Bahari Nusantara number 26, China;
5. Bintang Samudra number 11, China;
6. Samudra Gilontas number 231, China;
7. Mahkota Abadi number 15; China;
8. Naham number 4, Oman;
9. Samudera Pasific number 8, China;
10. Berkat Menjala number 23, China;
11. Lu Huang Yuan Yu, number 186, China;
12. Fu Yuan Yu number 7880, China;
13. Fu Yang Yu number 7881, China;
14. Run Da number 617, China.
(iii)
Vessels numbered 1 to 14 above were charged in terms of the Marine Living resources Act (No. 18 of 1998), forfeited to the State and sold on auction for the benefit of the State. The cases against vessels 1 to 7 remain open as the suspects are foreign nationals and could not be located. Vessels 9 and 10 escaped from lawful custody in Cape Town Harbour and INTERPOL International Notices were issued in respect of these vessels.
(iv)
The Lu Huang Yuan Yu, number 186, was fined R75 000;
The Fu Yuan Yu number 7880 was fined R250 000;
The Fu Yang Yu number 7881 was fined R250 000;
The Run Da number 617 was fined R200 000.
b) The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), which has the principal mandate to monitor and undertake enforcement in relation to foreign fishing vessels, is supported in the execution of this function by the work of Initiative 5 of Operation Phakisa - the enhanced and coordinated compliance and enforcement programme which addresses illegal activities taking place within the South African Economic Exclusive Zone and coastal environment. The ongoing operations undertaken by Initiative 5 in line with the National Instruction issued by the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) involve a coordinated interdepartmental approach to ensure compliance monitoring and enforcement within South Africa’s Economic Exclusive Zone, coastal waters and maritime ports of entry.
In addition to operating its Fisheries Protection Vessels (FPVs), the DAFF has been piloting a Maritime Intelligence capability that is designed to give early warning signals of Foreign Fishing Vessel entering the SA EEZ without the required/necessary permit/s and in contravention of the Marine Living Resources Act. The reports from this system are linked to the Cape Town Port of Control Centre (PECC). Work is also underway through Initiative 6 of Phakisa, the National Ocean and Coastal Information System and Extending Earth Observation Capacity, to provide an integrated maritime domain awareness system for our ocean space and coastal environment, which will integrate information from these early warning systems into a single government system to enable the effective deployment and mobilisation of the relevant capability to apprehend suspected perpetrators.
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