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Cape Town - Major fishing company bosses on Wednesday described a meeting with Fisheries Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson as a watershed moment.
It was the first time the group had sat around one table discussing problems facing the industry.
This included last year's hake certification fiasco, as well as the fisheries research and patrol vessels which remained docked at Simon's Town. The SA Navy took over the management of the vessels, but failed to maintain or operate them.
Joemat-Pettersson assured the company CEOs that processes were underway to address problems in the hake industry.
"We are certain the MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) hake certification will not be lost," she said.
Last year, the hake industry came close to losing its MSC certification, which meant fish caught in South African waters could not be sold under the MSC logo. This would have threatened South Africa's exports to Europe.
Criteria for MSC certification included a hake biomass survey, which was delayed as fisheries research vessels were not seaworthy. The department eventually chartered a privately-owned fishing trawler so the department's scientists could do the survey.
Joemat-Pettersson told CEOs she was working hard to improve access for the industry to alternative markets.
The minister was set to sign an important agreement during next week's summit of Brics (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) countries.
"During the summit the department will be signing a trade agreement with the Russian government to export South African fish stocks to the Russian market."
The CEOs described the meeting as constructive.
Oceana Group CEO Francois Kutel said they managed to touch on some important points.
"We've had an agreement on future dialogue about long term rights, about how we can accommodate each other in relation to the small scale policy," said Kutel.
Chairman of the Black Rights Holders Association, Xola Madabula, said the meeting with the minister convinced him there was no crisis in the fishing industry.
"We fully support the minister in this regard, and she has touched on various issues that have been in the press lately on the research vessels and so forth, and she's adequately addressed all those issues," he said.
