Socio-economic impact assessment of permit re-allocations in the South African West Coast Rock Lobster industry

Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 60-71).The decline of the WCRL fishery in recent decades has been accompanied by the restructuring of the permit process to a long-term rights allocation process and the increased participation of historically disadvantaged individuals. This paper examines the effects of declining somatic growth rates and stock abundance over the years, increased levels of poaching, and the placement and effectiveness of marine reserves, on the WCRL industry, which incorporates the offshore and nearshore commercial fisheries and the recreational fishery. Small-scale traditional fishermen face access constraints to the fisheries, including lack of skills, limited access to credit and insufficient organisation. Sustainability of both the resource and fishery-based livelihoods must be ensured when examining the social and economic impacts underlying the recent legal issue between MCM and the large rock lobster firms who were contesting the allocation of permits to nearshore fishermen. There is currently an attempt to resolve this ongoing conflict by the drafting of a small-scale fisheries policy. New focuses in the industry include introducing an ecosystem-based management approach by 2012, commitment to co-management, and marine protected areas, particularly a call for increased use of no-take reserves