Kayak Fishing SA

Well done to everyone who objected to the PROPOSED fishing licence increases. This is the latest update.....

Finally, some good news for us anglers about the proposed fishing fee hikes. According to a report by The Mercury’s Melanie Gosling the proposed price hikes on recreational fishing permits were “way too high” and would be reduced to a more realistic amount, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Tina Joemat-Petterssen announced yesterday. She also said that Marine and Coastal Management (MCM) would be transferred in its entirety to her department, ending speculation that some sections would remain under the control of the Department of Water and Environment Affairs.

In a pre-budget briefing yesterday, Joemat-Petterssen said new “more realistic” levies for recreational fishing permits than those currently proposed would be announced soon, and would be based on the consumer price index. “The proposed schedule of levies is way too high and needs to be capped” she said. Some of the proposed price hikes were up to 500 percent higher, and caused an outcry among recreational fishermen. A crayfish permit had been set to increase from R85 to R500 and an angling licence from R60 to R200.