South African Deep Sea Trawling Industry Association

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The South African Deep-Sea Trawling Industry Association (SADSTIA) represents the trawler owners and operators active in the offshore demersal trawl fishery for hake, the most valuable of South Africa's commercial fisheries, contributing approximately 45 percent of the value of fishery production. [1] Based in Cape Town, South Africa, SADSTIA currently has 32 members that catch, process and market the Cape hakes, Merluccius paradoxus and Merluccius capensis as well as several bycatch species.

Contents

The offshore demersal trawl fishery for hake

In South Africa, hake is targeted by four distinct fisheries: the offshore and inshore demersal trawl fisheries, and the hake longline and hake handline sectors. [2] The offshore demersal trawl fishery is by far the biggest of the four. Approximately 84% of the hake total allowable catch (TAC) is allocated to the offshore demersal trawl fishery. The inshore trawl and hake longline fisheries are each allocated approximately 6% of the TAC and the handline fishery presently accounts for about 3% of the allocation, although this has not been caught in recent years. [3] Trawling for hake takes place in a near continuous band on well-established grounds that extend from the Namibian border on the west coast to the extreme eastern part of the Agulhas Bank off the south-east coast. [4] Exploitation is predominantly at depths of between 300 and 800m on the west coast and less than 200m on the south coast. [4] The offshore demersal trawl fleet consists of 51 trawlers. Thirty fresh fish trawlers preserve hake on ice and return it to shore for processing, while 21 freezer vessels produce frozen headed and gutted (H&G) hake or sea-frozen fillets. [5] The gear configuration consists of “otter trawls” – gear towed along the seabed with trawl doors (or otter boards) keeping the mouth of the net open. Trawlers generally tow their nets at 3.5 knots for one to three hours, mainly in daylight when targeting hake. [6] Trawling occurs mainly over sandy sediments, but areas of muddy substrate and coarser, gravely substrates are also trawled. [4] A five-year (2014–2019) benthic trawl experiment is currently underway. [7] The purpose of the experiment is to determine the environmental impact of demersal trawling in South African waters. It is being implemented by SADSTIA in partnership with the South African Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, the University of Cape Town, the South African Environmental Observation Network and the South African National Biodiversity Institute. The catch of the offshore demersal trawl sector amounts to approximately 130 000 tonnes per year (2013 catches) [8] although this has varied between 118 000 and 166 000 tonnes, and consists of approximately 90% M. paradoxus and 10% M. capensis. The main bycatch species are kingklip ( Genypterus capensis ) and monk ( Lophius vomerinus ). [9] Trawler owners and operators produce a mix of fresh and frozen products, supplying them to retail and food-service markets both locally and internationally. The main export markets are in Europe, Australia and the United States. [10]

A representative industry body

SADSTIA represents 99.6% of the rights holders in the offshore demersal trawl fishery for hake. The Association interacts with government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other interested parties for the benefit of its members. SADSTIA maintains a professional relationship with a number of scientific and management organisations, which enables it to comment and provide advice on a wide range of issues pertinent to the offshore demersal trawl fishery in particular, or the South African fishing industry as a whole. An executive committee [11] is responsible for the management of SADSTIA and a chairman and/or deputy chairman and executive secretary take care of the day-to-day running of the Association.

Since its founding in 1974, [12] SADSTIA has played a central role in the growth and development of the offshore demersal trawl fishery. For example, the Association was instrumental in harnessing industry and government support for the assessment and accreditation of the South African trawl fishery for hake by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). The MSC is an independent non-profit organisation that sets a standard for sustainable fishing. The South African trawl fishery for hake achieved MSC certification in 2004 and was re-certified as sustainable and well-managed in 2010 and 2015. A re-assessment of the fishery, which is expected to culminate in a further five-year certification, began in 2019. The expansion by SADSTIA members into demanding markets in northern Europe (Germany and Switzerland for example) has largely been on the strength of the fishery's MSC certification. [13]

Transformation of the industry

SADSTIA is governed by a constitution that was adopted on 24 March 1974 and updated on 12 September 2002. [14] This was in recognition of the fact that circumstances in South Africa and in the fishing industry changed considerably after 1994, the year of South Africa's transition to democracy. In fact, the structure of the offshore demersal trawl fishery has changed substantially since 1994, in keeping with South African laws and guidelines on black economic empowerment. A study published by the independent empowerment research and rating agency, Empowerdex, in April 2019 found that black shareholding is at least 66.6%. [15] This is in stark contrast to the period pre-1990 when only a handful of companies held rights in the fishery – all of them large and predominantly white-owned. [16] Today, there are 32 rights holders in the fishery. These may be broadly separated into three categories: smaller companies that supply the domestic market with minimally processed hake; medium-sized companies that operate as wholesalers, serving both domestic and international markets; and large companies with sophisticated, vertically integrated operations that process hake for local and international retail markets. [17]

Investment and opportunities

The offshore demersal trawl fishery generates annual sales of more than R4.5 billion (US$312 million). [1] Approximately 7 300 South Africans are directly employed by SADSTIA members. Jobs are in coastal areas, including Cape Town, Saldanha, Gansbaai, Mossel Bay and Port Elizabeth. [1] Investments in trawlers and processing facilities by SADSTIA members are believed to amount to R6.6 billion (US$470 million). [5] Workers employed in the South African offshore and inshore demersal trawl fisheries are well compensated compared to others in the fishing industry. This is because fishing is not seasonal and employment is generally on a permanent basis. [18] And, although most fisheries workers in South Africa do not enjoy the provisions of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act of 1997, a unique labour relations framework has been established for seagoing workers in the offshore demersal and inshore trawl fisheries. A Bargaining Council was established in 2001 and a Collective Agreement, that sets out basic conditions of employment – such as set daily wages for each category of worker, set hours of work and regulated rest and leave periods – has been in effect since 2 May 2003. [18]

Management of the fishery

The offshore demersal trawl fishery for hake has been tightly managed and closely monitored since November 1977 when South Africa declared its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) under the United Nations Law of the Sea. [19] Having gained sovereignty over its fisheries resources, South Africa immediately began implementing regulatory and conservation measures, working with the trawling industry to rehabilitate the hake stocks that had been devastated by international fishing fleets. [13] Today, the setting of an annual total allowable catch (TAC) remains the primary management measure for regulating the hake fisheries. However, a comprehensive suite of additional measures has been developed and implemented over time to address mainly socio-economic and ecosystem concerns. These measures are as follows:

Enforcement of regulations and permit conditions include monitoring of all landings, imposition of fines in the case of minor offences, or full legal action under Section 28 of the South African Marine Living Resources Act that could result in the loss of rights in the event of successful prosecution. [13]

Threats to sustainability

The awarding of three prospecting licenses for the mining of marine phosphates from the seabed off the coast of South Africa is of serious concern to SADSTIA and its members. The prospecting license areas and proposed drill sites coincide with much of the footprint of the offshore demersal trawl fishery. [20] As a result of the threat posed by bulk marine sediment mining, SADSTIA has joined the Safeguard our Seabed Coalition which is lobbying the South African government for a moratorium on marine phosphate mining in South Africa.

Related Research Articles

The term hake refers to fish in the:

Trawling

Trawling is a method of fishing that involves pulling a fishing net through the water behind one or more boats. The net used for trawling is called a trawl. This principle requires netting bags which are towed through water to catch different species of fishes or sometimes targeted species. Trawls are often called towed gear or dragged gear.

Longline fishing Commercial fishing technique

Longline fishing, or longlining, is a commercial fishing technique. It uses a long line, called the main line, with baited hooks attached at intervals by means of branch lines called snoods. A snood is a short length of line, attached to the main line using a clip or swivel, with the hook at the other end. Longlines are classified mainly by where they are placed in the water column. This can be at the surface or at the bottom. Lines can also be set by means of an anchor, or left to drift. Hundreds or even thousands of baited hooks can hang from a single line. Longliners – fishing vessels rigged for longlining – commonly target swordfish, tuna, halibut, sablefish and many other species.

Bycatch

Bycatch, in the fishing industry, is a fish or other marine species that is caught unintentionally while catching certain target species and target sizes of fish, crabs etc. Bycatch is either of a different species, the wrong sex, or is undersized or juvenile individuals of the target species. The term "bycatch" is also sometimes used for untargeted catch in other forms of animal harvesting or collecting. Non-marine species that are caught but regarded as generally 'undesirable' are referred to as rough fish and coarse fish.

Patagonian toothfish Species of fish

The Patagonian toothfish is a species of notothen found in cold waters between depths of 45 and 3,850 m in the southern Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans and Southern Ocean on seamounts and continental shelves around most Subantarctic islands.

Bottom trawling

Bottom trawling is trawling along the seafloor. It is also referred to as "dragging". The scientific community divides bottom trawling into benthic trawling and demersal trawling. Benthic trawling is towing a net at the very bottom of the ocean and demersal trawling is towing a net just above the benthic zone. Bottom trawling can be contrasted with midwater trawling, where a net is towed higher in the water column. Midwater trawling catches pelagic fish such as anchovies, and mackerel, whereas bottom trawling targets both bottom-living fish (groundfish) and semi-pelagic species such as cod, squid, shrimp, and rockfish.

Unsustainable fishing methods

Unsustainable fishing methods refers to the utilization of the various fishing methods in order to capture or harvest fish, at a rate which sees the declining of fish populations over time. These methods are observed to facilitate the destructive fishing practices that destroy ecosystems within the ocean, and is used as a tool for over-fishing which results in the depletion of fish populations at a rate that cannot be sustained.

North Pacific hake Species of fish

The North Pacific hake, Pacific hake, Pacific whiting, or jack salmon is a ray-finned fish in the genus Merluccius, found in the northeast Pacific Ocean from northern Vancouver Island to the northern part of the Gulf of California. It is a silver-gray fish with black speckling, growing to a length of 90 cm (3 ft). It is a migratory offshore fish and undergoes a daily vertical migration from the surface to the seabed at depths down to about 1,000 m (3,300 ft). It is the object of an important commercial fishery off the West Coast of the United States, and annual quotas are used to prevent overfishing.

Yellowspotted catshark Species of shark

The yellowspotted catshark is a rare catshark of the family Scyliorhinidae. It is found in the southeast Atlantic, from Lüderitz, Namibia to central Natal, South Africa, between latitudes 0° and 37° S. It can grow up to a length of about 1.22 metres. The reproduction of this catshark is oviparous.

Fishing industry in Scotland

The fishing industry in Scotland comprises a significant proportion of the United Kingdom fishing industry. A recent inquiry by the Royal Society of Edinburgh found fishing to be of much greater social, economic and cultural importance to Scotland than it is relative to the rest of the UK. Scotland has just 8.4 per cent of the UK population but lands at its ports over 60 per cent of the total catch in the UK.

This is a glossary of terms used in fisheries, fisheries management and fisheries science.

Fishing industry in Russia

The coastline of the Russian Federation is the fourth longest in the world after the coastlines of Canada, Greenland, and Indonesia. The Russian fishing industry has an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of 7.6 million km2 including access to twelve seas in three oceans, together with the landlocked Caspian Sea and more than two million rivers.

European pilchard Species of fish

The European pilchard is a species of ray-finned fish in the monotypic genus Sardina. The young of the species are among the many fish that are sometimes called sardines. This common species is found in the northeast Atlantic, the Mediterranean, and the Black Sea at depths of 10–100 m (33–328 ft). It reaches up to 27.5 cm (10.8 in) in length and mostly feeds on planktonic crustaceans. This schooling species is a batch spawner where each female lays 50,000–60,000 eggs.

<i>Merluccius merluccius</i> Species of fish

Merluccius merluccius, the European hake, is a merluccid hake of the genus Merluccius. Other vernacular names include Cornish salmon and herring hake. It is a predatory species which was often netted alongside one of its favoured prey, the Atlantic herring, thus the latter common name. It is found in the eastern Atlantic from the Norway and Iceland south to Mauritania and into the Mediterranean Sea. It is an important species in European fisheries and is heavily exploited with some populations thought to be being fished unsustainably.

<i>Merluccius capensis</i> Species of fish

Merluccius capensis is a ray-finned fish in the genus Merluccius, found in the south-eastern Atlantic Ocean, along the coast of South Africa. It is a long, lean fish with a large head, similar in appearance to the European hake and the deep-water Cape hake. By day, it lives close to the bottom on the continental shelf and upper slope at depths not usually exceeding 400 m (1,300 ft); it makes a large, daily vertical migration rising at night to feed in the nectonic zone, and it also migrates southwards in spring and northwards in autumn. It is an important commercial fish species in southern Africa.

Cape horse mackerel Species of fish

The Cape horse mackerel is a mackerel-like species in the family Carangidae. It is a pelagic species of the south eastern Atlantic Ocean which is a target of fisheries, mainly as bycatch.

Community of Arran Seabed Trust

The Community of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST) is a registered Scottish charity based on the Isle of Arran, the largest island in the Firth of Clyde. Established in 1995 by two local divers COAST has been a registered charity since 2011 and is run mostly by Arran residents, who all share the same aims to protect the health of the marine environment around the Isle of Arran and within the Firth of Clyde from indiscriminate commercial fishing methods. COAST values the marine biodiversity around the shoreline of Arran and aims to regenerate and protect it for future generations.

Electric pulse fishing

Electric pulse fishing is a fishing technique sometimes used in trawl fisheries which produces a limited electric field above the seabed to catch fish. The pulse trawl gear consists of a number of electrodes, attached to the gear in the tow direction, that emit short electric pulses. The electrodes replace the tickler chains that are used in traditional beam trawl fishery. The pulse trawl fishery is mainly aimed at flatfish like sole, with by-catch plaice. In addition, the pulse trawl gear is applied in shrimp fisheries on a limited scale. Technically, the use of electricity to catch fish is prohibited in European waters. However, the European Union is able to provide exemptions to this rule since 2007. These exemptions are now mainly used by Dutch and British trawlers in the North Sea.

Merluccius australis, the Southern hake, is a species of fish from the family Merlucciidae, the true hakes. It is found in the southern Pacific and Atlantic Oceans with two disjunct populations, one around southern South America and the other in the waters around New Zealand.

Marine ecoregions of the South African exclusive economic zone Geographical regions of similar ecological characteristics

The marine ecoregions of the South African exclusive economic zone are a set of geographically delineated regions of similar ecological characteristics on a fairly broad scale, covering the exclusive economic zone along the South African coast.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Hodge, J., Ntanzi, A., van der Hoven, Z., Moses, P.J. & Msimango, N. 2018. Economic study of the Hake Deep-Sea Trawl fishery and the implications for future fishing rights allocation policy. Johannesburg, South Africa, Genesis Analytics. 107 pp.
  2. ↑ Durholtz, M.D., Singh, L., Fairweather, T.P., Leslie, R., van der Lingen, C.D., Bross, C.A.R., Hutchings, L., Rademeyer, R.A., Butterworth, D.S & Payne, A.I.L. 2015. Fisheries, ecology and markets of South African hake. In H. Arancibia, ed. 2015. Hakes. Biology and exploitation. Chichester, UK, John Wiley & Sons Ltd., p. 38−69.
  3. ↑ "The hake fisheries".
  4. 1 2 3 Wilkinson, S. & Japp, D. 2005. Description and evaluation of hake-directed trawling intensity on benthic habitat in South Africa. Cape Town, Fisheries & Oceanographic Support Services, 69 pp.
  5. 1 2 "Facts and figures".
  6. ↑ FAO. 2010. Fishery and aquaculture country profiles. Republic of South Africa. Rome, FAO. Available at http://www.fao.org/fishery/facp/ZAF/en
  7. ↑ "Seabed experiment enters its third year". January 27, 2016.
  8. ↑ Cooper, R., Leiman, A. & Jarre, A. 2014. An analysis of the structural changes in the offshore demersal hake (Merluccius capensis and M. paradoxus) trawl fishery in South Africa. Marine Policy, 30 (1): 3−17.
  9. ↑ Durholtz, M.D., Singh, L., Fairweather, T.P., Leslie, R., van der Lingen, C.D., Bross, C.A.R., Hutchings, L., Rademeyer, R.A., Butterworth, D.S & Payne, A.I.L. 2015. Fisheries, ecology and markets of South African hake. In H. Arancibia, ed. 2015. Hakes. Biology and exploitation. Chichester, UK, John Wiley & Sons Ltd, p. 38−69.
  10. ↑ "Markets".
  11. ↑ "Committee".
  12. ↑ "History".
  13. 1 2 3 Durholtz, M.D., Singh, L., Fairweather, T.P., Leslie, R., van der Lingen, C.D., Bross, C.A.R., Hutchings, L., Rademeyer, R.A., Butterworth, D.S & Payne, A.I.L. 2015. Fisheries, ecology and markets of South African hake. In H. Arancibia, ed. 2015. Hakes. Biology and exploitation. Chichester, UK, John Wiley & Sons Ltd, p. 56.
  14. ↑ "Constitution".
  15. ↑ Allie, R. (2019). "A transformation study of the deep sea trawling industry". Empowerdex.
  16. ↑ Black Business Quarterly. 2017. Deep waters. Cape Media, BBQ, p.82−87.
  17. ↑ Ferrandi, D.C. 2015. Industrial organisation in the South African deep sea hake trawl sector: a taxonomy. Paper submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree Economics Honours. School of Economics, University of Cape Town. 21 pp.
  18. 1 2 Lallemand, P., Berg, M., Hansen, M., Venter, K. & Purves, M. 2014. An analysis of the economic benefits of MSC certificiation for the South African hake trawl fishery. Proceedings of the 17th IIFET Conference, 7–11 July 2014, Brisbane, Australia. International Institute of Fisheries Economics and Trade.
  19. ↑ "History".
  20. ↑ Brick, K. & Hasson, R. Socio-economic contribution of fisheries and other marine uses in South Africa. A socio-economic assessment in the context of marine phosphate mining. Environmental Economics Policy Research Unit, University of Cape Town
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