Articles Index
In 1989 my first thoughts arose towards preparing, collating, and filing information towards the goal of one day writing a book on South Africa’ maritime resources. Fired up by my best friend, Alan Noyce, a lecturer in living sciences at Stellenbosch University with whom I had fished mainly together, though at other times in competition to see who could catch the most fish for the most money. (There never was a clear winner.) I started studying Marine based resources, particularly fish, as a result. After the title, the date is the year of first publication and then follows a brief description of what it is all about.
Comments on any of Jack’s Articles, be they positive or negative, would be greatly appreciated. Please contact him accordingly at walshjackw@gmail.com, or by phone on +27 (0)83 654 0257. Readers are free to copy, forward, or republish in full any of these articles, providing you credit both Jack Walsh and the website, www.jackwalsh.co.za
New Articles
To be advised.
That very important Newsletter
16. THE LINEFISH RESOURCE ENVIRONMENT (2021/22) – I wrote a newsletter to my fisheries contact base over the Christmas holidays of 2021, which went out in 2022, subsequently turning it into an article on my site later that year. It summarised all my fears and thoughts about our line-fish resource, the sector of our Industry that has always been, and still is, my favourite topic for my research efforts.
Articles up to 2022
15. RECREATIONAL FISHING PERMIT CONDITIONS (2022) – The way these are distributed and explained by the responsible authorities leave a lot to be desired in making them user friendly by both the fishers and the authorities. As this fishing fraternity is theoretically bound to follow such, here is my attempt to make them more user friendly and Compliance adaptable than those in present use, which are to say the least confusing. Read here…
14. REGULATIONS FOR ARTISANAL FISHING (SO CALLED) 2022 – The irony is that all the fuss that has been made this century is based on an incorrect concept that South Africa’s coast line has been populated for many years by a myriad of peoples whose sustenance and living depended on continual shore based fishing effort. However, the truth is that only an insignificant part of such people living on or adjacent to our coastline can lay claim to this. Read here…
13. THE ENIGMA PROJECTED BY MARINE PROTECTED AREAS, (MPA) 2022 – Now clearly in my dotage, after a LIFETIME of fishing for success, fun, and money, I cannot remember how many times I have switched from been an MPA wholehearted supporter to a complete antagonist with varying degrees of both in between. That is why they have always been an enigma to me. The researched reasons for this are fully dealt with in a comprehensive section of my Book.
12. MARINE SEISMIC SURVEYS AND TERRESTRIAL FRACKING (2021) – Here are the truths once again that the activists, greenies, and far right extremists, do not want to hear! Read here…
11. THE FAILURE OF THE 2020 FRAP (2021) – To this day, it is still not clear to me whether the governing authorities directed the incompetence intentionally, or merely saw the opportunity, because of such incompetence. Whatever, this then gave them the opportunity to first delay and then redirect the awarding of rights to so many recipients simply for reward, or to ensure that continued support for political ends. Read here…
10. THE SASSI INITIATIVE (2020) – I am all in favour of Sassi, despite what they and some people (Greenies) think. However, here in South Africa they have long gone overboard in their fervour to protect far too much. This is very harmful and unfair against the many they claim to be helping! Read here…
9. FOREIGN TRAWLER ACTIVITY IN SA’S WATERS (2021) – Once again rumours and statements are circulating from people who are convinced they have witnessed foreign trawlers working in our territorial waters at night? That’s right, at night, when all can see are their lights! Read the truth and a bit of history here. Read here…
8. THE SARDINE RUN BAN (2021) – I broke my teeth as a full time commercial fishing master on this major fishing resource, so am probably a bit biased in its favour accordingly. I do not like to criticise other people, which is in effect judging them and their work, particularly as I realise how much I must be deserving of such treatment. However sometimes you must stand up to the truth. Seldom have I seen such a deplorable scientific report, which “nogal” was allowed to stand on merit? Read here…
7. MARINE RESOURCES: SOME OF MY CONCLUSIONS (2019) – My ardent wish is to be able through my research work to leave a meaningful legacy to guide those who in the future will manage our marine riches.
6. THE SEARCH FOR UNDERSTANDING (2019) – How long will it take to really understand what is doable fairly and effectively towards managing our many sea resources for the benefit of as many of our population as possible.
5. WHO SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO CATCH WHAT (2018) – Creating two independent licensing sectors entitled to award rights on the same resources must rank as one of the most unbelievable management decisions ever, virtually ensuring the decimation of such as being exploitable financially.
4. THE FISHING INDUSTRY AND ITS RESOURCES FUTURE (2017) – Our marine resources have remarkable outstanding potential in so many ways such as job opportunities, taxable income, tourist attraction, etc, that it is almost criminal the way our governing party allows them to be so mismanaged.
3. INSHORE RESOURCES (2015) – A serious story of over-fishing and mismanagement that imperils their future sustainability, but yet means so much to so many of our peoples.
2. A PREDATOR OF THE PAST? Meeee?? – (1995) I started selling what I caught for extra pocket money before I even went to Hi-school, until I sent back to the Department my license to fish from my boat in 1995, I guess I must have qualified as such accordingly!
1. TRAWL BY-CATCH – (1989) By-catch is to environmentalists almost as emotive a subject as seal culling. As a result, most of what is written for public consumption is hopelessly exaggerated to a ridiculous extent!