CAPE TOWN - The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries plans to create Aquaculture Development Zones (ADZ) to help develop the small-scale aquaculture sector, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Senzeni Zokwana said yesterday.
These will be areas earmarked for aquaculture value chain activities, with all the relevant authorisations in place and relevant basic infrastructure. The aim would be to reduce the cost of doing business in these areas, he said.
Authorisations had been received for Saldanha Bay, Western Cape; Qolora, Eastern Cape and for the Coega (Eastern Cape) ADZs. Environmental impact assessments for the Amatikulu (KwaZulu-Natal) and Algoa Bay ADZ’s were still under way, the minister said.
The department, with provincial departments, was piloting aquaculture in the Van der Kloof Dam in the Northern Cape; Nandoni Dam, Limpopo, Disaneng in North West and in Richard’s Bay in KwaZulu-Natal.
The department planned to also establish multi-species hatcheries in the Eastern and Northern Cape to support community based aquaculture farms, stock enhancement and skills development.