Beach Fishing Permit Rules
Cast a lure or a line from a KZN beach and you are fishing under permits and across regulated zones, not free and clear.
Permit basics and where to buy it
DFFE announced that its online recreational fishing permit application solution was live and available, and circulated an email address (EPenquiries at dffe.gov.za) with a contact number (021 402 3680) for more.
But the DFFE site is not the only place to buy. A permit can be obtained in person, as part of a payment process.
Who needs a permit and what it allows
The permit is personal and entitles the holder to catch fish for own use only, not for selling or trading fish.
But the permit varies. A recreational fishing permit is personal and entitles the holder to catch fish for own use only. That is downloadable online.
The other rules that still apply on the beach
Recreational fishing is regulated by the Marine Living Resources Act. South Africa has Marine Protected Areas, and they include no-take zones where no fishing is allowed.
Aliwal Shoal Marine Protected Area specifically includes "restricted zones" where "no person may fish or attempt to fish" of any species. That includes spearfishing and fishing for invertebrates or collecting or harvesting intertidal organisms including bait species.
In a Marine Protected Area restricted zone, no person may fish or attempt to fish, including spearfishing and fishing for invertebrates or collecting or harvesting intertidal organisms including bait species.
What changes inside Marine Protected Areas
In Marine Protected Areas, fishing without a permit or in no-take zones can incur penalties.
Sources consulted
- DFFE: fishing.dffe.gov.za
- Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment: dffe.gov.za
- Marine Recreational Fishing Information and Permit Conditions brochure: spearfishingsa.co.za
- Cape Town Green Map booklet quoting recreational fishing rules: capetown.gov.za
- Protected Areas MPA leaflet: assets.ctfassets.net
- WWF guidance on responsible recreational fishing in South Africa: saambr.org.za
- DFFE parliamentary question response on Aliwal Shoal MPA: dffe.gov.za
- DFFE public notice: dffe.gov.za
