West Coast communities complain about fishing industry
About 400 people from fishing communities have met ID leader Patricia de Lille in the West Coast town of Velddrif to discuss their grievances about the industry, notes a Cape Argus report.
She reported back to the Velddrif community about talks she had held with Environmental Affairs and Energy Minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk about the lack of transformation regarding the quota system in the industry. De Lille said she had discussed allegations about abuse from a local fishing company with the minister but more information was needed from people about the company. She confirmed the approval of lease agreements for aquaculture mussel farming in Saldanha Bay that would create 300 jobs in a community where many people were unemployed and relied on the fishing industry as the main source of employment. De Lille said she had raised the issue of interim relief for fishers who had to wait for permits with the DEAT. Full Cape Argus report