To fish or not to fish? Anglers are left confused

The country officially moved to lockdown level 3 on Monday, which meant millions of South Africans could return to work, buy alcohol and exercise at any time.

Recreational fishermen could also return to the water to fish, provided they had a permit to do so. With fishing rods and tackle boxes in hand, many anglers could be seen casting their lines in East London and other parts of the country.

However, there is confusion about whether fishing is allowed if regulations permitting it have not yet been gazetted. The department of environment, forestry and fisheries said that fishing and other recreational activities were still regarded as illegal.

In a radio interview with Vibes Live earlier this week, department spokesperson Albi Modise said the regulations were supposed to be gazetted this week. However, the recent high court ruling that found certain lockdown 3 and 4 regulations invalid has delayed that.

“They have passed the matter to legal counsel to determine whether they can still pass the amended regulations, irrespective of the fact the National Corona Command Council has been ordered by a court to review the level 3 and level 4 regulations,” Modise said.

South African Bass Angling Association (SABAA) president Craig Fraser told the DispatchLIVE on Friday that until the regulations were officially gazetted, the organisation considered it illegal to fish, even if members had permits to do so. He said SABAA had advised members to refrain from angling for now.

An East London angler, who is a member of a local fishing club, said they would continue fishing, even deep-sea fishing.

“Social distancing is possible on a boat. These regulations are quite ridiculous.”

Meanwhile, Buffalo City Metro spokesperson Samkelo Ngwenya said no decision had been taken to reopen the city’s beaches. He said the municipality’s command council would meet next week to “strike a balance between the various laws”.