It has been a matter of concern for some time that much of the institutional memory of fisheries management and policy guiding attempts to conserve the resource, has been located in a small number of persons. Many of these are close to retirement or indeed retired, and many of the younger persons have moved into the private sector or emigrated.
Following a recent workshop organised by the Department of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries into the redrafting of the legislation governing
fisheries in South Africa, a group of people, led by Dr Kevern Cochrane and
including EPRU senior research fellow Tony Leiman arranged a set of informal
meetings to find a potential solution. The group, which includes members from
commercial and state sectors, as well as academics, will provide a think-tank,
a memory bank and an advisory service. Tony Leiman also participated in two
state organised fisheries discussions, one to collect inputs into the
redrafting of the act governing fisheries and marine conservation in SA, and
the other to inform the Department of Economic Planning.