Share

Court lifts 6-month suspension of hake fishing

Cape Town – The Western Cape High Court on Wednesday lifted an interdict preventing existing and new entrants from operating in the Hake Inshore Trawl sector.

In January this year, Judge Lee Bozalek made an interim ruling after an application had been submitted by Viking Inshore Fishing, which was unhappy about the new quotas which came into effect since the beginning of 2017.

In its application, Viking was seeking for the total suspension of hake fishing rights until an internal appeals process for fishing rights has been concluded and Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries Minister Senzeni Zokwane has taken a final decision regarding the fishing quotas. 

READ: Inshore hake trawling in SA temporarily suspended 

The Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries said in a statement the ruling means the matter has now been brought to an end as the application to interdict the granting of fishing rights to previously disadvantaged new entrants was dismissed with costs.

“The interdict, previously preventing existing and new entrants from participating in the sector has now been lifted. The court held that the Department explained fully the entire allocation process (of fishing rights),” the statement read.

READ: Viking Fishing director: We were trying to save jobs 

The Department is of the view that the court order has vindicated its attempts to ensure that new entrants in the hake inshore trawl sector are able to utilise the fishing rights granted to them.

“The court said the decision made by the Department cannot be said to be irrational, inexplicable or unreasonable. This is a victory for both the department and small fishing companies who have been prevented from operating in the sector for the past six months,” according to the Department.

Read Fin24's top stories trending on Twitter:

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
18.87
+0.3%
Rand - Pound
23.86
+0.2%
Rand - Euro
20.37
+0.3%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.31
+0.2%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+0.2%
Platinum
908.05
0.0%
Palladium
1,014.94
0.0%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders