ATC150514: Report of the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries on the International Fisheries Agreements that bind the Republic of South Africa, dated 12 May 2015.

Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development

Report of the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries on the International Fisheries Agreements that bind the Republic of South Africa, dated 12 May 2015.
 

International Agreements were tabled by the Speaker in terms of Section 231(2) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act No. 108 of 1996), on 18 September 2014 (see ATC, 18 September 2014) and referred to the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries on 15 October 2014 (see ATC, 15 October 2014) for consideration and report, as follows:

• The Agreement to the Establishment of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC);
• The Convention for the Conservation of the Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT); and
• The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Port State Measures Agreement to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing.

 

The Committee deliberated on the Agreements on 21 October, 04 and 24 November 2014, and could not finalise them for the following reasons:

• The Explanatory Memorandum that accompanied the International Agreements when they were tabled was not prepared according to the National Assembly’s Rule 306(2) and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO)’s Guidelines.
• Legal opinions regarding the alignment and lack of conflict of the Agreements with domestic law and other international obligations of the country from both the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development (doj & cd) and DIRCO, were outdated.
• The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries did not provide adequate information on all three Agreements including financial implications and contribution to job creation.

 

The Committee further deliberated on the Agreements on 10 and 17 March 2015 and resolved to give the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries more time to provide Parliament with the required information that will assist the Committee in making an informed decision on the referred International Agreements.

 

On Tuesday, 12 May 2015, the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, having finally made a decision on the above-mentioned International Agreements that bind the Republic of South Africa, recommends that Parliament approves the said International Agreements.

 

 

Report to be considered.