On 21st of November annually we celebrate World Fisheries Day, to highlight the importance of healthy ocean ecosystems and the importance of ensuring sustainable stocks of fisheries. Fisheries provide us with jobs, food and so much more.

According to a recent UN report, “More than two thirds of the world's fisheries have been overfished or are fully harvested, and more than one third is in a state of decline, due to the loss of fish habitats, soaring pollution levels in oceans and rivers and climate change”. This shows that our fisheries are under threat and in need of strict management to be restored.

While the government regulates and monitors fishing activities, it is the duty of citizens to support sustainable and responsible fishing by adhering to regulations and be informed about the status of fish that is being consumed.

All You Need to Know About Fishing Permits

Inland fisheries are regulated by the provincial department responsible for environmental management in terms of their environmental acts, ordinances, and regulations. According to section 54 of the Nature and Environmental Conservation Ordinance and Regulation 19 of 1974, people are required to have a license to angle in any inland water (rivers, dams or lakes). These licences can be obtained from CapeNature in the Western Cape Province. Apply online for an angling licence at: www.capenature.co.za/permits/recreational-fishing-permit-dams-and-rivers.

Nationally, the Marine Living Resource Act 18 of 1998 was established to provide for the long-term sustainable utilization of marine living resources. According to the act you are required to have a licence to fish in any marine waters (oceans, seas). These licences can be obtained from the National Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment.

Marine Protected Areas (MPA’s) are established to protect the threatened freshwater and Marine species which also ensure sustainable stock of our fisheries. CapeNature manages six MPA’s on behalf of National Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment and include Robberg, Goukamma, Stilbaai, De Hoop, Betty’s Bay and Rocherpan. For more information about CapeNature MPA’s visit https://www.capenature.co.za/marine-protected-areas-1.

All You Need to Know About What to Buy and Eat

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) establishes the South African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI) to inform and educate people about sustainable seafood. The conservation status of different fish is indicated by the colour-coded SASSI list below. This easy-to-use ‘traffic light’ system tells a person which seafood can be eaten with a clear conscience (on the Green list), which seafood you should think twice about (on the Orange list), and which seafood should be avoided altogether because it is either considered unsustainable or illegal to sell in South Africa (on the Red list).

So before eating out, order fish at a restaurant or buy fish at a store, be sure to check what colour it is. SASSI has a few easy-to-use tools to make this possible, including a credit card-sized pocket guide, a free app and a mobile SMS service. Simply type the name of the seafood species into a text message and send it to 079 499 8795 to receive information on the status of that species. For the SASSI list visit http://wwfsassi.co.za/sassi-list/