Navigating Troubled Waters. How to Turn a Crisis into a Sea of Possibilities

South Africa’s fishing industry, once a vital pillar of the coastal economy and a source of food security, is increasingly caught in a web of bureaucratic inertia, regulatory bottlenecks, and chronic underfunding. At the heart of this crisis lies the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), an overstretched institution struggling to deliver on its mandate. This article explores the difficulties faced by the fishing sector and provides recommendations on how to resolve funding constraints and improve coordination with key stakeholders such as the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA), the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI), and others.