DFFE promotes its fisheries revitalisation projects

South Africa’s Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) has reported progress in upgrading the Western Cape’s 12 proclaimed fishing harbours, a project central to supporting the region’s coastal economies and fishing industry, valued at roughly R6-8 billion annually and employing around 27,000 people.

The initiative, part of the broader “Fishing for Freedom” campaign, targets infrastructure decay, security gaps, and environmental risks in harbours such as Hout Bay, Kalk Bay, and Saldanha Bay, which collectively moor over 300 vessels and handle more than 1,000 annually.

The DFFE’s September 2025 report details operational improvements. In the first quarter of the 2025/26 financial year, 33 vessels underwent slipping or launching activities. Security upgrades are advancing, with electronic systems ordered for Kalk Bay on September 29 and procurement underway for Lamberts Bay, Hermanus, and others. Saldanha Bay and Paarden Eiland already benefit from 24/7 monitoring. Environmental measures include the scheduled removal of two sunken vessels in Hout Bay, Edelweiss and African Unity, in October 2025, under the Wrecks and Salvage Act, in coordination with the South African Maritime Safety Authority. Signage enhancements across all harbours, completed by June 2025, aim to improve navigation and management.

Nationally, the initiative aligns with Operation Phakisa’s “blue economy” strategy, aiming to generate R30 billion through marine sectors, and the fisheries project follows the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure’s R501 million Small Harbours Programme, concluded around 2023, which repaired slipways and electrical systems to boost efficiency. Yet challenges remain, including community calls for greater involvement in planning and shortages of skilled staff, such as dock masters. 

Similar efforts include harbour upgrades in the Eastern Cape and Northern Cape, alongside aquaculture and small-scale fisheries support, such as cold-storage facilities at Kalk Bay. The Working for Fisheries Programme employs 216 contract workers in the Western Cape for maintenance and anti-poaching efforts. Policy underpinnings include the Marine Living Resources Act (1998), which regulates harbour operations, and the Small-Scale Fisheries Policy (2012), which promotes equitable resource access amid declining fish stocks.

The National Aquaculture Policy Framework (2013) supports fish farming to ease pressure on wild catches. These efforts reflect South Africa’s attempt to balance economic growth with sustainability, though fiscal constraints, illegal fishing, and climate pressures pose ongoing risks.