Struggling small-scale squid fisheries soon to be chokka-block 

Small-scale fisheries in the Eastern Cape are getting a much-needed boost with the decision made to allocate 15% of squid catch to men and women in the sector. 

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) said in a statement on Thursday the decision was “a historic step forward” in transforming the lives of around 600 men and women in small-scale fisheries in the area. 

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The department aims to eventually increase this proportion to 25% over the next five years and said it would review allocation totals at the start of each fishing season. 

DFFE Minister Barbara Creecy emphasised the integral role small-scale fishermen and women play in “promoting household food security and providing livelihoods in areas where there are little other means of support”.

The balance, 85% of the total amount of squid caught, will be allocated to the commercial squid sector.

The changes will come into effect from the start of this year’s squid season, which peaks in November and December.

Valuable and sustainable 

According to the Marine Steward Council, squid is worth an estimated €20-25 million (R335-420 million) a year. 

The squid industry is the fishing sector’s third-largest employer in the country.

Squid is usually caught in trawl nets or with automatic jigging machines and, unlike other fishing, squid fishing has very little by-catch. 

This is because squid are processed individually instead of in bulk, like hake trawling.