Remove demographic-based fishing quotas: De Klerk Foundation

The FW de Klerk Foundation has called on the Department of Agriculture‚ Forestry and Fisheries to remove quotas based on national demographics for Coloured fishermen from its recently announced draft sector specific policies for the allocation of fishing rights.

The foundation pointed out that these policies would violate several core constitutional rights of the Coloured fishing community of the Western Cape‚ who have for generations made their livelihood from the sea fisheries off the Western Cape Coast.

“They would clash with section 9(2) of the Constitution insofar as the measures involved are directed‚ not in favour of‚ but against‚ a community who themselves are a category of persons disadvantaged by unfair discrimination.

“They would constitute unfair racial discrimination by the State in terms of section 9(3) - without any attempt at establishing whether the discrimination is fair - as is required by section 9(5).”

The foundation said these policies would deprive the Coloured fishing community of their traditional means of livelihood - which constituted an intimate aspect of their identity‚ culture‚ traditions and self-respect - and would seriously undermine their right to human dignity in terms of Section 10.

The draft policies would also deprive the community of their right to choose their trade‚ occupation or profession freely and would undermine their right to practise the cultural life of their choice - which was intimately interwoven with their traditional involvement in the fishing industry.

RDM News Wire.