Poaching and black markets are wrecking fish supplies — but there’s a fix

This opinion piece was written by Gunter Pauli, author of The Blue Economy_. If you’re interested in writing an opinion piece, take a look at Apolitical’s guide for contributors._

On August 12, 2018 in Cape Town, South Africa, the frustrations of a group of disempowered fishermen boiled over after one man was killed. Protest action led to the office and the residence of a fisheries department official in the outskirts of the city being set on fire. This violence and aggression, and the subsequent looting, is being condemned by the whole nation. The destruction of public property and the endangering of the lives of officials will lead to prosecution and prison time.

The question is, however, how can this collapse of public order be explained? What drove people with centuries-old ancestral rights to these fishing grounds to turn to destruction? The Cape is home to the descendants of one of the First World Nations, the Khoi and the San cultures. Indigenous people have practiced sustainable fishing along these coasts for millennia. Even during the Apartheid years, traditional rights to these fishing grounds were upheld.

Demand for seafood — like tuna, and especially luxury items such as rock lobsters and abalone — is rapidly rising around the world. National governments, like that of South Africa, have seen unique opportunities to generate revenue and have "professionalised" the fishing industry. In South Africa, licenses to fish have been granted to large corporations, disregarding ancient indigenous rights. It appears that only those with the resources to obtain advice from legal experts, including many who had historically never fished, got quotas. This analysis is shared by Dr. Mamphela Ramphele, a former managing director of the World Bank and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Town.

This exclusion of local fishermen resulted in a major uproar. The operators of small boats, which, according to local investigations with the community, used to earn US$500 to US$800 per day, supporting a dozen families, made their frustrations known.

"The local market was flooded with deep-frozen Argentinian shrimp and expensive Norwegian salmon"

Some of the corporates offered them jobs. For many of these fishermen, ancient fishing rights were replaced by a salary of barely US$300 per month (and this only during the fishing season). This made poaching a near-inevitability; it is the only way of survival. From here onwards, a vicious spiral of deteriorating trust and the desperate search for economic survival — combined with a black market for produce that pays a premium for out-of-season harvests — led to the decimation of fish stocks, leaving an ecosystem incapable of producing sustainably.

In the meantime, the local market was flooded with deep-frozen Argentinian shrimp and expensive Norwegian salmon — marketed as trendy and healthy. Few people realise the impact of globalisation in creating higher and more transparent prices on the black market. It is leading to the total annihilation of tuna, abalone and lobsters in the Cape. As the sources turn scarcer, the price increases, which spurs the locals to accelerate over-harvesting, ensuring a total collapse.

We have seen this pattern elsewhere, too. Few Europeans like to be reminded of the fact that the North Sea between Scotland, England, Belgium and the Netherlands once was home to 20,000 square kilometres of oysters. All were eaten, leaving murky waters ever since. No steps were taken to redress the destruction of this ecosystem.

"Reversing destruction does take time"

While there is no short-term solution to annihilation of local stocks through black market fishing, there are long term options that work. This applies to South Africa, but is relevant for the thousands of fishing communities facing exactly the same dilemma. The steps are pragmatic, requiring discipline and an intergenerational approach. Reversing destruction does take time.

The first step is to declare no entry zones where fish can safely breed. Secondly, there needs to be an absolute ban on fishing large female fishes with eggs. A yellowfin tuna needs 10 years to become fertile, and a 20-year old female produces millions of eggs. Everyone must agree to catch and release all mature females. Thirdly, nets need to be replaced by lines. Each fish, lobster and abalone caught should receive a tag with a GPS code when they emerge from the sea. This would control middlemen who cheat the whole system (both large corporations and traditional fishermen).

This program has been tried already, with notable success. It was implemented first in El Hierro (Canary Islands, Spain) and today fish density is 10 times the average of Spain. The local fishing community, La Restinga, looks like an upper-middle class town. The ZERI Foundation (a network of 38 organisations) has helped a number of fishing communities in Spain to ensure that they are surviving and thriving in a sustainable way.

Hope is not lost. Reversal is possible — provided one permits nature to bounce back before its total collapse. — Gunter Pauli

(Picture credit: Flickr/Maurits Vermeulen)