Registered fishing vessel

Description

A fishing vessel is a boat or ship that is used for, or equipped for the management, harvesting and exploitation of living marine resources, or in support of related activities. This includes any vessel aiding or assisting one or more vessels at sea in the performance of any permitted activity relating to fishing including – but not limited to – preparation, supply, storage, refrigeration, transportation, or processing. The  South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) and the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries must approve the fishing vessel.

No fishing vessel will be registered without a fishing right and a permit to engage in fishing activities.

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Steps to follow

• Arrange for the vessel to undergo a SAMSA sea-worthy evaluation procedure after which SAMSA may issue a Safety Certificate. This certificate should accompany your application for registration.
• Obtain an application form from the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
• Complete the form in print using capital letters only and a written motivation where necessary 
• Provide the following information:
• • the name of the vessel
  • the name and details of the vessel owner (including ownership shares)
  • the length of the vessel
  • the horsepower and capacity of the vessel
  • the Flag of State under which the vessel is currently registered (if chartered from or jointly owned with non-South African citizens)
  • the SAMSA safety certificate.
• Submit your application with your fishing right or a contract concluded with the owner of the vessel to use the vessel concerned if you are not a fishing right holder.  
• Indicate the duration and the fishing sector in which the vessel will be deployed.

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Legal framework

(Documents are provided in PDF format. To open PDF documents, you need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader 4 or higher installed on your computer.)

• The Marine Living Resources Act, 1998 (Act 18 of 1998)
• The National Environmental Management Act, 1998 (Act No. 107 of 1998)
• The National Biodiversity Act, 2004 (Act No. 10 of 2004)
• The National Marine Protected Areas Act, 2003 (Act No. 57 of 2003)
• Sea Birds and Seals Protection Act, 1973 (Act 46 of 1973)
• The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships Act, (Act 2 of 1986)

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Service standard

The application may take 3 working days or more, subject to proper lodging of the application.

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Cost

Contact any SAMSA office for cost information. 

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Forms to complete

The forms are not available online. Please contact your nearest departmental office.

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Contact details