Exploring solutions to problems plaguing fishing communities
The minister has been meeting with fishing communities in a bid to explore solutions to the problems in the sector.
Dr. Dion George says they need to make sure we don't pollute water supplies, and there are a number of issues with water quality.
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IOL News
19-07-2025
- IOL News
Criticism mounts as minister neglects fishing communities
Deputy Minister Narend Singh defended the Department's plans, including R2.8bn for ecosystem restoration and 70 000 new work opportunities, but the legislators slammed the lack of tangible progress for struggling coastal communities. Image: File/Independent Newspapers THE Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE) was subjected to sharp criticism from Parliament's National Council of Provinces (NCOP) over its handling of small-scale fisheries, inadequate ocean patrols, and delays in issuing fishing permits — even as it unveiled a R9 billion budget aimed at climate resilience and job creation. Deputy Minister Narend Singh defended the Department's plans, including R2.8bn for ecosystem restoration and 70 000 new work opportunities, but the legislators slammed the lack of tangible progress for struggling coastal communities. The Department's flagship 'Fishing for Freedom' programme, designed to empower small-scale fishers, came under fire after MPs accused officials of sidelining Parliament and failing to address grievances in Saldanha Bay. 'The Committee visited small-scale fisheries in Saldanha Bay to hear their concerns, but the Department went there without informing us,' the PA's Bino Farmer said. 'These fishers can't live and fish sustainably because they don't have rights — they're forced into poaching. The system is biased toward big business.' Small-scale fishing cooperatives, a critical lifeline for coastal towns, remain in limbo. While the DFFE pledged support for 15 cooperatives this year (out of a five-year target of 50), MPs highlighted bureaucratic delays. The MK Party's Seeng Mokoena demanded answers: 'Why are KZN fishers waiting endlessly for permits while infrastructure crumbles?' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading The legislators blasted the Department's target of just four patrols in South Africa's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) this year, warning it leaves the country vulnerable to illegal fishing by foreign vessels. 'Four patrols? That's a joke,' asked the DA's Nicolaas Pienaar. 'Chinese trawlers are pillaging our waters, and budget constraints aren't an excuse.' The Department's own data shows a five-year goal of 20 patrols, but with only four planned for 2025/26, critics say enforcement is critically underfunded. Despite the DFFE's pledge to create nearly 70 000 jobs through environmental programmes, MPs questioned the feasibility. 'How many jobs have actually been created so far?' wondered the DA's Sonja Boshoff, referencing the Department's 2030 target of 1 million jobs. A R100 million youth graduate programme aims to place 4 000 young people in environmental roles, but the FF+'s Hendrik Van den Berg remained sceptical: 'Are these just temporary EPWP jobs, or real, sustainable employment?' The Department's Climate Change Act implementation faces funding shortfalls, while reliance on international donors raises concerns. Deputy Minister Singh admitted: 'Funding is a challenge,' but highlighted expected support from Germany, Italy, and the Global Environment Facility after the US withdrawal. However, the EFF's Meisie Kennedy warned: 'Most municipalities can't manage waste. What's the plan to stop hazardous pollution?' The Department's own targets include 29 municipal clean-up campaigns and 54 000 tons of waste tires processed, but oversight remains weak. Meanwhile, plans to add 100 000 hectares to conservation estates and publish an Elephant Conservation Strategy were met with cautious optimism. In response, Deputy Minister Singh acknowledged frustrations but blamed scheduling conflicts for poor communication with Parliament. 'We'll engage directly with Saldanha Bay's fishers,' he said, adding that recruiting youth into cooperatives was a priority. On climate funding, he confirmed R45 million was allocated for G20 meetings, crucial for securing international investment. 'The people we meet at the G20 are the movers and shakers,' he said. With a clean audit but mounting scrutiny, the DFFE's five-year plan hinges on execution. As Farmer said: 'Officials are the problem.' For now, South Africa's oceans, fisheries, and environmental future hang in the balance, caught between bold promises and the harsh reality of implementation failures. Get the real story on the go: Follow the Sunday Independent on WhatsApp.
IOL News
16-07-2025
- IOL News
Balancing ambition and action in South Africa's climate adaptation efforts
Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George. Image: Dion George/Facebook On Friday, the 27th June, I intently followed the 2025/26 budget vote speech by Minister Dion George of the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), hoping to hear a decisive shift in how South Africa intends to confront its growing climate crisis, more critically, through climate adaptation to the irreversible impacts already upon us. The speech presented a vision of environmental stewardship, economic inclusion, and climate resilience. While the speech outlined commendable priorities such as biodiversity conservation, green job creation, and regulatory reforms, it sadly fell short in explicitly prioritising and funding climate adaptation measures with the urgency South Africa's vulnerabilities demand. While the DFFE's commitments to mitigation and biodiversity are laudable, adaptation remains underfunded and overshadowed, a critical gap in a country where climate impacts are already destabilising livelihoods. Just weeks ago, devastating floods ripped through parts of Mthatha in the Eastern Cape, tragically claiming a reported 102 lives at last count and displacing countless families some who had built informal homes on floodplains and below flood lines. These are not isolated incidents as floods are firmly becoming the biggest and most frequent climate threat to South Africa. These events are flashing red warning lights, signalingthat adaptation must be elevated to a national priority with the budget to match. Great: A Progressive Environmental Agenda In his speech, the Minister rightly emphasised several key priorities including the enforcement of the Climate Change Act, the revised Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and Sectoral Emission Targets that demonstrate a structured approach to reducing carbon footprints. The Highveld Air Quality Management Plan is also a necessary step toward holding polluters accountable. Regarding Biodiversity as an Economic Driver, the KISS (Kruger, Kirstenbosch, iSimangaliso) strategy and Biodiversity Economy Strategy, which aims to create 397 000 jobs and inject R127 billion annually by 2036 is a visionary linkage of conservation and economic growth. He also adds the FILLER (Fair Industry for Lions, Leopards, and Rhinos) and Fishing for Freedom, which highlights ethical wildlife management and support for small-scale fishers, crucial for both ecological and social justice. Relating to regulatory and Financial Innovation, the RESET (Regulatory Efficiency Strategy) promises streamlined environmental governance, while the push for carboncredit monetisation could unlock new funding avenues. These initiatives reflect a department attempting to balance ecological protection with developmental needs. However, the speech's silence on concrete adaptation financing undermines its otherwise progressive stance. Not so Great: Where Adaptation was Sidelined The Minister acknowledged budget constraints, a real-term decrease of 1.4% in allocation, yet insisted the DFFE would "do more with less'. However, while cost-saving measures are prudent, adaptation cannot thrive on austerity, it must be prioritised. What is clear is that there is no dedicated adaptation budget line. For instance, the speech mentioned a Climate Change Adaptation Response Plan for coastal regions, but without specific allocations or timelines. There also appears to be an over-reliance on international finance which we should do less of given the current geo-political uncertainties. The Green Climate Fund's $40 million (R717m) for South African National Biodiversity Institute is welcome, but domestic funding for localised adaptation remains Minister praised South African Weather Service for 1 400 severe weather alerts, yet many vulnerable communities still lack actionable response plans. The speech missed an opportunity to allocate funds for local disaster preparedness (e.g., community training, evacuation routes) and the opportunities to integrate traditional knowledge with scientific early-warning systems. The elephant in the room and the unavoidable question then is: If climate change is "here and now" as the Minister says, why is adaptation not a standalone budget priority? If the DFFE is committed to matching its rhetoric with tangible adaptation progress, it must consider elevating adaptation action to a priority stand-alone action, dedicating funding for adaptation, and providing it with the requisite institutional support for success in future budgets. It's too elusive and the light mention gives cool comfort. As a country, we are already paying the price of climate inaction in lives lost, livelihoods destroyed, and un-budgeted resources diverted to emergency response. Adaptation investments are cost-effective and lifesaving, especially when planned and made proactively. Every rand spent on resilient infrastructure saves many more in post-disaster reconstruction. Minister George's speech outlined a bold environmental agenda, particularly inmitigation and biodiversity. However, the lack of detailed, funded adaptation measures risks leaving South Africa's most vulnerable populations exposed to escalating climate shocks. The DFFE must recognize that to achieve a truly resilient South Africa, it requires ambition, budget, and urgency for adaptation in equal measure. This is so worrying that often when I think about adaptation and resilience action it makes me feel like we're playing a game of 'masicashelane' (hide & seek), only now the count is 10 000. Minister let's bring it back to an achievable count to a 10 please... so we can find this missing priority sooner. The Presidential Climate Commission has consistently emphasised through its work on the just transition, adaptation is not only a technical imperative but a moral one, which is central to safeguarding livelihoods, foodsystems, and public infrastructure in the face of escalating climate threats. Initiatives like the Just Adaptation and Resilience Investment Plan demonstrate that a just, inclusive,and locally grounded adaptation pathway is possible. What's needed now is political will and budget. Morwesi Ramonyai Thonga is a Senior Advisor to the Presidential Climate Commission on Adaptation Finance. Image: Supplied Morwesi Ramonyai Thonga is a Senior Advisor to the Presidential Climate Commission on Adaptation Finance. *** The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of Independent Media or IOL. BUSINESS REPORT
The South African
16-07-2025
- The South African
Captive lion breeding in South Africa to be BANNED
The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment has taken steps toward ending captive lion breeding in South Africa, marking a major shift in the country's approach to wildlife conservation and animal welfare. Minister Dr Dion George confirmed on Tuesday that the department is finalising the Prohibition Notice that will officially ban the establishment of new commercial captive lion breeding facilities across the country. 'This marks a turning point in our approach to wildlife conservation,' said George. 'We are committed to enforcing clear, effective, and legally robust measures that protect South Africa's natural heritage.' The new policy forms part of strengthened regulations under the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (NEM:BA), 2004 and is guided by the Ministerial Task Team Report and the Policy Position on the sustainable use of elephants, lions, leopards, and rhinoceroses. The Prohibition Notice aligns with international conservation norms and public demands to end the unethical breeding and exploitation of lions for profit – particularly in canned hunting and the bone trade. Following its tabling in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on 10 June 2025, the mandatory 30-day consideration period has now elapsed, clearing the way for official promulgation by the Executive Authority. The department is now engaging with provincial Members of the Executive Council (MECs) under Section 87A (3) of NEM:BA to coordinate implementation and enforcement at local levels. Further updates are expected during stakeholder engagements, including the upcoming G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group meeting taking place in the Kruger National Park. The ban also forms part of broader efforts to overhaul the Threatened or Protected Species (TOPS) Regulations, with a sharper focus on animal well-being, biodiversity protection, and practical enforcement. 'We are building a regulatory foundation that prioritises animal well-being. The department remains fully committed to finalising and implementing these reforms without delay,' George stated. The move is being seen as a clear message to the global conservation community: South Africa is working to phase out unethical wildlife exploitation and reposition itself as a leader in sustainable, ethical biodiversity management. The final Prohibition Notice is expected to be gazetted in the coming weeks. Once enforced, it will prevent the opening of any new captive lion breeding facilities, although existing operations may still fall under separate review and transitional frameworks. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
