The draft General Policy on the Allocation of Commercial Fishing Rights is a South African policy framework to guide the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment in granting commercial fishing rights under the Marine Living Resources Act (MLRA), 1998. The policy outlines the process for allocating rights for various fishing sectors, such as hake deep sea trawl, west coast rock lobster, and small pelagics, and serves as a reference for application submissions, compliance, and the duration of these rights.

This policy recognises the need to ensure the optimal, long-term and justifiable use of marine living resources in order to ensure sustainable development of the fishing sector to achieve inclusive economic growth, to build capacity within the MLRF and to create sustainable employment consistent with the development objectives of national government.

The draft fishing rights allocation process (FRAP) socio-economic impact assessment system (SEIAS) refers to the process in South Africa where a socio-economic impact assessment study is conducted to evaluate the potential social and economic effects of proposed fishing rights policies before they are finalised and implemented. The purpose of the SEIAS is to help the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment understand and minimise negative impacts, promote equity, and ensure the policies benefit various stakeholders while also considering the ecological sustainability of marine resources.