Pretoria - Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister, Tina Joemat-Pettersson, has approved an additional R6 million as part of the social relief plan for commercial abalone right holders and crew.
However, this is pending the finalisation of the process for the conditional lifting of the suspension of the commercial harvesting of wild abalone.
"Government has carefully considered the pleas made by abalone right holders for additional relief measures and we remain concerned about their plight, especially in the context of dwindling wild abalone stocks," she said.
The abalone fishery has been closed since February 2008 when former environmental minister Marthinus van Schalkwyk promised abalone fishers a social relief package.
Joemat-Pettersson said the relief is only a short-term measure or 'stop gap' to address the plight of the fishers and their families, adding that it is not sustainable in the long-term.
She further said other alternative sources of fish resources will be explored for coastal communities and fishing companies.
She added that because of the current wild abalone stocks, even the temporary suspension of harvesting will not lead to full recovery to meet the current demand.
Recognising the reality of fast declining wild abalone stocks, Joemat-Pettersson said government's response to addressing the problem embraces a developmental approach to ensure that poor coastal and fishing communities, who have been dependent on wild stocks for their livelihoods, are lifted from conditions of hardship and poverty.
She said her department is in the process of developing policies that will ensure the implementation of programmes to create sustainable livelihoods for coastal communities to mitigate against declining wild fisheries resources.
The interim relief payments will be effected as from May 7 and will be processed by the department.
"No service provider will be involved in the facilitation of payments to ensure that every single cent reaches the intended beneficiaries," she said.
