Cape Town - Despite the 209 available Post Offices in the Western Cape, fishermen say getting permits has become a mission as some local offices are closed.
South African Post Office has been rationalising branches nationwide, reportedly due to a net loss of R2.2 billion since the Covid-19 pandemic, yet they are keeping offices 5km apart in the suburbs.
This has had a negative impact on the local fishermen as they have to renew their permits annually. They said the law enforcement don't listen to the excuses about the Post Office issue and anyone found infringing the by-law gets fined on the spot.
Andre Arendse had a first-hand experience as he recently needed to renew his permit and drove from Strandfontein to Ottery only to stand on a long queue for over an hour and be later told the permits were not available.
"What they don't understand is the most of us are into subsistence fishing and rely on the activity for our meals. It is unfair that we are fined for something that is not our fault. The department, City and the Post Office must find a solution to this without victimising the fishermen,” he said.
Arendse said fishermen have always been discriminated from fellow ocean users. "Surfers, wave-riders, hang gliders, parachuting are all public activities, but we are the only ones that must pay permits for our activities and receive nothing in return. Now we have to deal with this Post Office, it is unacceptable,“ he said.
He said depending on individual need, fishermen pay between R100 and R1 000 to renew their permits.
Fellow fisherman, Abbas Morrat said: "The system is crap and there's no point to deprive a man food because he doesn't have a piece of paper.“
He said the problem with permits had been a pain, even before the closure of the branches.
"You'd have to go there a couple of time to get your permit as most of the time they're out of it," he said.
Johan Kruger, the SAPO spokesperson said: "Fishermen have no reason to be worried about finding a post office where they can get a fishing permit. There are 209 post offices open in the Western Cape province where a fishing licence can be bought. At the moment, 29 branches in the province are closed for various reasons. The figure above does not include the closed branches."
Wayne Dyason, spokesperson for Law Enforcement Department said the City does not have control over the closure of post offices and that the Law Enforcement officers are not the only officers enforcing laws with regards to fishing without permits.
"There are other agencies such as officers from the national Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Environment (DFFE). The fine in terms of the Coastal By-law is R500 for illegal fishing," he said.
Albi Modise, the spokesperson for DFFE said, the department is considering measures that would be efficient in the management of the recreational fishery and permitting thereof. He said fishermen caught fishing without a valid Recreational Fishing Permit will be charged for the contravention of the Marine Living Resources Act. “Fish caught on Recreational Fishing Permit is not to be sold for the purposes of deriving an income,” Modise added.