Welcome to SAFE Lobster
Sustainable Lobster
South Africa Fishing Ethically (SAFE) is exclusively a South African South Coast Rock Lobster, responsible fisheries management programme. The SAFE programme encompasses the entire fishing business through the implementation of the 4 SAFE business principles:
Commitment
The members of SAFE collaborate to ensure that the integrity of healthy ecosystems is maintained, fisheries resources are used sustainably and equitably by all members, appropriate third party certification is recognised, fishing enterprises and other stakeholders act responsibly, livelihoods and rights are preserved, populations of all species are protected, and that this arrangement is secured for the benefit of present and future generations.
The SAFE commitment
The South African government’s Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF), formerly Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), is responsible for the management of the fishery. The Fisheries Division of DEFF aims to contribute to maintaining and restoring the productive capacity and biodiversity of the marine environment, ensuring the protection of human health, as well as promoting the conservation and sustainable use of marine living resources.
The SAFE responsible fisheries management programme is endorsed and support by the Chief directorate: Fisheries Research and Development, of the department. Sustainability is of utmost importance to government and is an integral part of the Policy for the Allocation and Management of Commercial Fishing Rights in the South Coast Rock Lobster Fishery read together with the General Policy on the Allocation and Management of Long Term Commercial Fishing Rights.
