Volume II - The Northern Cape Provincial Spatial Development ...

Northern Cape PSDF
Volume 2
15 August 2011.
Office of the Premier &
Department of Rural Development & Land Reform
127
December 2011
The PGDS states that in the Northern Cape, aquaculture development as a sector is a way of
diversifying agriculture in the province. The potential of value addition activities in the sector is
very high. The irrigation agriculture and storage dams on farms offer an opportunity for farmers
to diversify their operations to incorporate aquaculture. Fish products are not just consumed by
humans, but processed and incorporated into other products such as animal feed, fertilsers, etc.
For example fish can be processed by smoking, canning, filleting and salting.
F.1.3.1 AQUACULTURE AND MARICULTURE
In the 1980s, aquaculture was in its infancy, globally. Today, it accounts for close to 50 million
tons annually, making up nearly half of all fish products consumed. Of this, Africa, has a 1 %
market share and South Africa accounts for approximately 1 % of the African slice. In Chile,
aquaculture, created over 40 000 new direct and indirect jobs over the past 15 years. Although
Chile’s conditions are not directly similar to South Africa’s, their regulatory environment, together
with their market, marine science (and thus sustainability) and engineering experiences hold
lessons for South Africa (TIPS, 2008) 50 . Mariculture (i.e. growing and farming of marine
organisms) 51 is a global growth industry and certain areas along the Namaqualand coast have
great potential for this. Mariculture development in the Northern Cape has therefore been and
will continue to be predominantly shore based and although it is a comparatively new industry it is
one with tremendous growth potential, particularly when it involves the cultivation of high value
species for export. Recent advances in technology development and the penetration of certain
overseas niche markets has effectively kick‐started the South African mariculture industry 52 .
F.1.3.2 CURRENT INITIATIVES
According to Northern Cape Business 53 the following initiatives have taken place in the Northern
Cape regarding mariculture, namely:
a) Kleinzee is already the site of an abalone farm, the first phase of which will produce 100
tons per annum. Seven seaweed‐production dams for feeding, water purification and
heating have been built to support the project. It is calculated that approximately 182 jobs
will be created.
b) A joint venture by the National Department of Science and Technology, the Fishing and
Mariculture Development Agency (FAMDA) and HIK Abalone is running an abalone project
in Hondeklip Bay with the intention of producing 120 tons of abalone for sale.
c) The 2 000 hectares of kelp beds on the Northern Cape coastline offers an attractive
investment proposition since there is a growing domestic and international demand for
kelp.
50 TIPS, 2008: Potential for a South African Aquaculture Industry on the Northern Cape’s Namaqualand Coast.
Second Economic Strategy: Addressing inequality and economic management. Feike Natural Resource
Management Advisors. September 2008.
51 Mariculture was recognised for the first time in law by the Marine Living Resources Act 18 of 1998. Under the
“objectives and principles” informing the Act, it is stated that the Minister shall have regard for the ‘need to
utilise marine living resources to achieve economic growth, human resource development, capacity building
within the fisheries and mariculture branches, employment creation and a sound ecological balance consistent
with the development objectives of the national government’.
52 http://www.gone‐fishing.co.za/category/uncategorized/page/2/ ‐ accessed on 16 September 2011.
53 http://www.northerncapebusiness.co.za/pls/cms/ti_secout.secout_prov?p_sid=41&p_site_id=164 – accessed on
Dennis Moss Partnership