The green economy within the South African context is defined as a “system of economic activities related to the production, distribution and consumption of goods and services that result in improved human well-being over the long term, while not exposing future generations to significant environmental risks or ecological scarcities”.
The two developmental outcomes for the South African economy focus on:
- Growing economic activity (which leads to investment and job creation)
- A shift in the economy as a whole towards cleaner industries and sectors
As a wholesale and retail supplier of fresh fish and seafood products, Fish4Africa’s allied fleet of fishing vessels is subject to SA’s environmental laws and operates within the context of the green economy both from a local and global perspective.
As a business that depends on the health of the ocean for its sustainability and survival, Fish4Africa is committed to resource management (fish stocks), sustainable production (quotas and legal regulation) and environmental sustainability (managed impact on the marine ecosystem).
Our boats are also bound by the species quotas issued by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and we abide by Section 13 of the Marine Living Resources Act, 1998, following a clear traceability policy.
From a global perspective, Fish4Africa’s business operates within the World Resources Institute’s definition of a green economy which seeks to generate growth and improvement in people’s lives and advance economic, environmental and social well-being.
As an invested partner in the commercial fishing space, we naturally participate in research projects that aim to share qualitative and quantitative data with organisations such as SASSI who focus on educating consumers about making sustainable seafood choices and creating awareness about over-exploited marine species and marine conservation. In the past, one of our vessels was involved in assisting SASSI to move Kingklip from the orange to the green list.
Other past research initiatives have been in partnership with CAPMARINE (International Marine Monitoring and Fisheries Consulting Group based in Cape Town) where research data collected was shared with DAFF to benefit the industry.
Furthermore, we abide by the guidelines and best practices as set out by the South African Hake Longline Association (SAHLLA) and South African Tuna Association (SATA) industry organisations of which we are members. We are also active participators in environmental initiatives designed to preserve and sustain our natural resources rolled out by the likes of BirdLifeSA and SASSI.
Most recent greening projects that Fish4Africa is engaged in:
- The consideration for eco-friendly packaging at our retail stores (in an effort to reduce plastic usage which is a major pollutant in the ocean).
- The investigation into eco-friendly cleaning solutions for our boats and our delivery vehicles
- We have recently assisted BirdLife South Africa (Albatross Task Force) with a research project where they were equipped to collect data about bird interactions and carry out a bird mitigation plan assessment as well as familiarise themselves with inshore trawl fishing operations by spending 4 days onboard our deep sea trawler – Dantago.
