SCOPING STUDY ON THE DEVELOPMENT AND TT 615/1/14 Development and Sustainable Utilisation of Inland Fisheries – Volume 1 Volume – TT of Inland and Sustainable Utilisation Fisheries 615/1/14 Development SUSTAINABLE UTILISATION OF INLAND FISHERIES IN SOUTH AFRICA Volume 1: Research Report PJ Britz, MM Hara, OLF Weyl, BN Tapela & QA Rouhani TT 615/1/14 Scoping Study on the Development and Sustainable Utilisation of Inland Fisheries in South Africa Volume 1: Research Report Report to the WATER RESEARCH COMMISSION by 1 2 3 2 1 PJ Britz , MM Hara , OLF Weyl , BN Tapela and QA Rouhani 1Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science, Rhodes University 2Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS), University of the Western Cape 3South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity WRC Report No TT 615/1/14 January 2015 Obtainable from: Water Research Commission Private Bag X03 Gezina 0031 [email protected] or download from www.wrc.org.za The publication of this report emanates from a project entitled Baseline and Scoping Study on the Development and Sustainable Utilisation of Storage Dams for Inland Fisheries and their Contribution to Rural Livelihoods (WRC Project No. K5/1957/4) DISCLAIMER This report has been reviewed by the Water Research Commission (WRC) and approved for publication. Approval does not signify that the content necessarily reflect the views and policies of the WRC, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute recommendation or endorsement for use. ISBN 978-1-4312-0617-9 Printed in the Republic of South Africa © Water Research Commission ii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY South Africa’s inland fishery resource endowment has been overlooked as a means of supporting sustainable livelihoods in the democratic era, lacking a guiding policy and legislation aligned with the country’s rights- based Constitution. The absence of an equitable inland fishing governance framework with defined use rights has resulted in growing unmanaged and unsustainable fishing practices, conflicts between resource users, and the perpetuation of Colonial- and Apartheid-era exclusion of rural communities from livelihood and economic opportunities linked to aquatic natural resources. In response to this problem, the Water Research Commission launched a solicited research project entitled “Baseline And Scoping Study On The Development And Sustainable Utilisation Of Storage Dams For Inland Fisheries And Their Contribution To Rural Livelihoods” to provide a knowledge base to inform the development of policy and institutional arrangements for inland fishery governance. The project was executed by a trans-disciplinary team of researchers with fisheries and social science backgrounds from Rhodes University’s Department of Ichthyology and Fisheries Science; the University of the Western Cape’s Institute for Poverty, Land and Agrarian Studies (PLAAS), and the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB). The research approach consisted of a combination of literature reviews, community based surveys, fishery productivity modelling, and stakeholder consultations. The available literature on South African inland fisheries was reviewed, access rights arrangements and legislation analysed with recommendations for reform, and the production potential of South African impoundments estimated using morpho-edaphic models. A research survey was conducted among selected fishing communities to evaluate the role of indigenous and local knowledge in inland fishery utilisation, and to characterise the role of inland fisheries in rural livelihoods. A series of consultations and workshops was conducted with rural fishing communities, mandated government department representatives, and recreational angling bodies. The results of the reviews and surveys were discussed with government departments to determine options for institutional and organisational arrangements. The organised recreational angling sector was presented with the project findings, and their views on inland fishery governance solicited. The institutional and organisational requirements for inland fisheries governance were then analysed based on the project research results, South African development and environmental policies, and internationally accepted fishery “good governance” norms. Recommendations for institutional and organisational arrangements were presented to the relevant government departments and feedback incorporated into the research reports. Review of the History and Status of Inland Fisheries A review of the history and status of inland fisheries describes the evolution of inland fishery development and policy (Chapter 2). South Africa’s inland fisheries policy dates back to the Colonial era when comprehensive institutional support was provided, including the country’s first fisheries legislation and state hatcheries, in order to stock alien fish species for recreational fishing purposes. During the Apartheid era, attempts to promote fisheries for commercial and livelihood purposes were made during the dam-building era of the 1960’s and 1970’s, and as part of the “homelands” development policy. Most attempts proved non-viable due to the low prices of fresh water fish and problematic conception of ‘development’ projects in the former ‘homelands’. In the post-1994 democratic era, inland fishery resource management has largely been framed by the biodiversity conservation mandate of the provincial environmental management agencies, with little attention to the social and economic aspects. The lack of a policy on inland fisheries as a source of livelihoods is identified as a problem underlying tensions between growing small-scale subsistence/artisanal fishers and the recreational fishing sector. Profiles of the small-scale fishing, recreational and commercial/artisanal fishing sub-sectors are provided, iii including available estimates of their participation rate and economic value. The productivity of inland waters is deemed too low to support large-scale commercial fisheries. Most formal commercial fisheries attempted on inland waters in recent years have proved non-viable due to the low yields and the low prices for freshwater fish. Inland fisheries are thus characterised by widespread recreational fishing use and growing informal small-scale fishing for livelihood purposes. The literature review revealed an urgent need for research, covering the biological, social, economic and governance aspects, if inland fisheries are to be developed in a rational and sustainable manner which promotes South Africa’s national policy goals. Inland Fishery Governance A comprehensive review of property rights, legislation, regulation, management and governance systems revealed that South African inland fisheries governance institutions are fragmented and incomplete (Chapter 3). In contrast with South Africa’s marine fisheries, which are governed by the Marine Living Resources Act, inland fisheries lack supporting legislation that is constitutionally aligned. The National Environmental Management Act (NEMA) provides for sustainable development and equity through natural resource access, but a policy on inland fisheries governance flowing from these principles is lacking. This is problematic, as fishing on inland waters is primarily governed as a recreational activity based on biodiversity considerations, while fishing rights for livelihood purposes are not provided for in existing legislation and policy. This is despite constitutional recognition of customary practices and the need for equity of access to natural resources. The management mandate for inland fishery resources is currently delegated to the provincial environmental and nature conservation authorities, while the Department of Water Affairs and various authorities regulate activities on dams. The only specific legislative provisions governing the use of inland fish resources are rudimentary fishing “effort control” rules prescribed in the provincial environmental acts and ordinances, which have their origin in pre-democratic era policies. While small-scale fishers from local communities are generally regarded as having a legitimate claim to fish, in the absence of a supporting rights-based governance framework, their activities are usually illegal, unmanaged and often unsustainable. This has led to growing conflicts between water users on a number of impoundments. A significant institutional change was the designation of the inland fisheries mandate to the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) which announced in 2012 that it would create an inland fisheries policy and programme. The equitable and sustainable use of South Africa’s inland fish resources thus requires fundamental reform of the very rudimentary existing inland fishery governance arrangements. The governance reform process should be led by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), due to its primary resource sector development mandate which now includes inland fisheries. Case Studies on the Role of Small-Scale Fisheries in Rural Communities Very little published information is available on the scale and livelihood contribution of small-scale fishing in rural communities, as it is largely an informal activity with no established system for stakeholder representation or data gathering. Case studies of a selection of fishing communities were therefore undertaken to assess the role of indigenous knowledge in inland fisheries and to characterise current small-scale fishery use (Chapter 4 and Volume 21). Small-scale fishing