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A fierce debate around a recent study that claims bottom trawling in European waters costs society up to €16 billion (~ R335 billion) per year has exposed a widening gulf between conservation advocacy groups and the fishing industry. The South African experience is markedly different: the fishing industry, environmental organisations and government recognise the vital

A ceremony held in Cape Town last week to celebrate the successful registration and certification of the freezer trawler Santa Princesa marked another significant investment in South Africa’s deep-sea trawl fishery. The 65 m, 2 999 kW freezer trawler will replace the Umzabalazo and catch the allocations of Mayibuye Fishing, Ntshonalanga Fishing and Khoi Qwa Fishing

Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront is now home to a pioneering initiative that transforms discarded fishing nets into valuable plastic materials, marking a significant step in tackling marine plastic pollution. Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, officially opened South Africa’s first fishnet recycling facility at Collier Jetty on 10 October. The containerised

The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George, officially opened South Africa’s first fishing net recycling facility at Collier Jetty at the V&A Waterfront on 10 October. Minister Dion George delivered the keynote address at the opening event Minister Dion George points out the special plaque inaugurating the opening of the recycling

The South African Deep-Sea Trawling Industry Association (SADSTIA), has announced it will apply for a fifth certification from the Marine Stewardship Council – a certification body that is globally recognised as a credible indicator of sustainable fishing practices. Since achieving its first certification in 2004, SADSTIA has maintained one of the longest continuous MSC certifications

31 JULY 2025, CAPE TOWN – Two shipping containers central to South Africa’s first harbour-based fishing net recycling initiative were successfully delivered to Collier Jetty at the V&A Waterfront this week, marking a major milestone for the pilot project launched in May. The containers, supplied by Container World, will be used to house the Ocean

Inshore trawlers berthed in Mossel Bay When Colin Attwood from the University of Cape Town’s Department of Biological Sciences began studying South Africa’s inshore fishery in 2014, he and his team of researchers uncovered a complex web of challenges that would reshape how the industry thinks about managing bycatch. This decade-long research effort, which is

In most fishing nations, scientific observer programmes are funded and coordinated by the government agencies responsible for fisheries management. South Africa followed this model from 2002 to 2011, until government funding for the Offshore Resources Observer Programme was withdrawn. At that point, a parallel programme funded by the South African Deep-Sea Trawling Industry Association (SADSTIA)

A pioneering project led by the University of Cape Town’s Department of Biological Sciences is developing artificial intelligence (AI) tools to improve onboard monitoring of fish catches in South Africa’s trawl fishery for hake. By combining AI with video technology, the project aims to deliver more accurate and transparent data on what’s being caught at