RECOGNITION OF CUSTOMARY FISHING RIGHTS IN SOUTH AFRICAN FISHERIES LAW: LESSONS FROM NEW ZEALAND
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17501/23861282.2025.12103Keywords:
indigenous fishing, customary fishing rights, Māori fishing rights, small-scale fisheries, customary fishing communities, fisheries legislationAbstract
At present, the South African fisheries legal framework classifies customary fishing communities as merely small-scale fishing communities. Notwithstanding, indigenous communities in South Africa have harvested marine resources and relied on the ocean for generations to sustain their traditional livelihoods and culture. It is argued that, the current legal framework governing fishing rights in South Africa, namely the Marine Living Resources Act of 1998, should especially recognise customary fishing rights of indigenous fishing communities as a sui generis fishing right in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, (Constitution,1966)which confers equal status on customary law as a system of law. This paper investigates the legal framework and key judicial rulings of New Zealand where advancements in the recognition and protection of customary fishing rights have been achieved such as the controversial Foreshore and Seabed Act, 2004 to the more recent the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Act,2011 including case law such as Ngati Apa v Attorney General; Te Weehi v Regional Fisheries Officer and the 2021 judgement of In Re Edwards (Te Whakatōhea No 2). Such an analysis is undertaken in line with the directive made in terms of section 39(1)(c) of the Constitution, 1996. It is submitted that New Zealand’s approach to recognising customary fishing rights is an example of the best practice that can be achieved when a government concretely undertakes to advance customary fishing rights and empower indigenous fishing communities. The main recommendation is for South Africa to amend its Marine Living Resources Act to similarly give proper recognition to customary fishing rights of indigenous communities and restore the communities’ access to marine resources.
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