The South African Deep-Sea Trawling Industry Association
Unlocking the value of the Cape hake resource
Our members participate in a sustainable, MSC-certified fishery, provide approximately 12 400 jobs and deliver R8.5 billion to the South African economy every year.
About us
WE REPRESENT COMPANIES IN SOUTH AFRICA’S MSC-CERTIFIED DEEP-SEA TRAWL FISHERY FOR HAKE
All 37 rights holders in the deep-sea trawl fishery for hake are SADSTIA members.
SADSTIA works closely with government, organised labour, the scientific community, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders to promote the stability and sustainability of the deep-sea trawling industry.
Sustainability
At SADSTIA, sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. We work closely with scientists, government and NGOs to ensure that our fishing practices are based on the best available science, and that we operate within the limits of what the ocean can sustain.
THE MSC CERTIFICATION
The Marine Stewardship Council is the world’s leading certification programme for wild-caught seafood.
Bycatch management
SADSTIA works with scientists and conservationists to monitor and manage trawl bycatch.
PROTECTING THE SEABED
SADSTIA members only trawl on historically used grounds — 4.4% of South Africa’s exclusive economic zone.
PROTECTING SEABIRDS
SADSTIA members comply with a suite of regulations to ensure the safety of seabirds on the trawl grounds.
RESPONSIBLE FISHERIES ALLIANCE
SADSTIA’S largest members contribute to the Alliance which works for healthy marine ecosystems.
TRAWLING IN SOUTH AFRICA
FISHERY
Explore the South African deep-sea trawling industry
Facts and figures
Discover key facts and figures about the deep-sea trawling industry in South Africa.
THE FISHERIES FOR CAPE HAKE
Discover the Cape hakes, their history, and the management of hake fisheries in South Africa's deep-sea trawling industry.
MANAGEMENT & MARKETS
Explore the management of the deep-sea trawl fishery and the markets that drive its success.
History of the Fishery
Explore the rich history of South Africa’s hake fisheries.
News and updates
THE LATEST NEWS FROM SADSTIA
OUR FLEET
- 53 trawlers with a replacement value of R3.7 billion
- 27 freezer trawlers produce sea frozen fillets and headed and gutted hake
- 26 wetfish trawlers preserve hake on ice and return it to shore for processing
- Surveyed annually by the South African Maritime Safety Authority
OUR FACTORIES
- Asset value of approximately R4 billion
- Large factories produce fillets and crumbed and sauced products
- Smaller factories fillet hake and other deep-sea species, usually by hand
- Provide jobs in Cape Town, Gansbaai, Mossel Bay and Gqebehra
A fisher’s life
Meet the men and women who bring the hake to your plate
Together we fish for the future
On World Fisheries Day 2022, SADSTIA and the MSC partnered to produce this film short film that highlights the contribution of the seafood industry and civil society to safeguarding the ocean.
Four seafarers reach the peak of their profession
On the International Day of the Seafarer, SADSTIA celebrates the personal journeys and achievements of four newly qualified skippers working in the hake deep-sea trawl fishery.
What the camera saw
A five-year survey of the Karbonkel trawl grounds, situated in deep-water off the coast of the Northern Cape, opens a window on the deep-sea environment in which the Cape hake stocks live.
