18 October 2023

There are currently four Fish Processing Facilities (FPFs) which are operational in St Helena Bay; namely Lucky Star, West Point Processor, Pioneer Fishing and Amawandle. Each of these FPFs is in possession of a Coastal Waters Discharge Permit (CWDP) issued by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) in terms of section 69 of the National Environmental Management Integrated Coastal Management Act, 2008 (Act No. 24 of 2008) (ICM Act) in respect of historical discharges which commenced prior to the enactment of the ICM Act.

The DFFE is aware that there are inconsistencies in the conditions of these CWDPs. Accordingly, the DFFE has embarked on a process to amend the relevant CWDPs to create consistency and to ensure gradual and consistent improvement of the water quality in the Bay over a five-year period.

In terms of the revision, it is proposed that the effluent discharge limits are initially based on the 90th percentile of the effluent monitoring results of the FPFs measured from January 2022 to December 2022. The effluent improvement limits then require a 20% improvement of the interim limits for all FPFs per annum. The improvement will necessitate certain upgrades to the infrastructure at the FPFs.

Submission of comments or input and closing date

Members of the public are invited to submit written comments or input, by no later than 30 (thirty) days from the date of publication of this notice in the newspaper to the following addresses:

By hand:

The Director: Coastal Pollution Management 
Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment
1 East Pier Building, East Pier Road
V&A Waterfront, Cape Town 
Attention: Dr Yazeed Peterson

By E-mail: fpp@dffe.gov.za

Download copies of the four FPF companies mentioned above

• Lucky Star
  • Current coastal waters discharge permit [PDF - 4.4 mb]
  • Amendment to current coastal waters discharge permit [PDF - 571 kb]
  • Public paricipation process (PPP) [PDF - 229 kb]
• West Point Processor 
  • Current coastal waters discharge permit [PDF - 3.3 mb]
  • Public paricipation process (PPP) [PDF - 276 kb]
• Pioneer fishing
  • Current coastal waters discharge permit [PDF - 2.8 mb]
  • Public paricipation process (PPP) [PDF - 196 kb]
• Amawandle 
  • Current coastal waters discharge permit [PDF - 4.0 mb]
  • Amendment to current coastal waters discharge permit [PDF - 265 kb]
  • Public paricipation process (PPP) [PDF - 179 kb]

Enquiries

Mr Rueben Molale
E-mail: rmolale@dffe.gov.za