Cape Town – A two-year blanket ban on perlemoen fishing has been “conditionally” lifted by Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Minister Tina Joemat-Petterssen.

President Jacob Zuma announced that fisheries would be moved to Joemat-Petterssen’s department because “fisheries is an economic activity – it’s not an environmental thing”.

“Details” such as what department will be responsible for marine conservation and research would be ironed out, Joemat-Petterssen said.

She addressed an ANC meeting in Hermanus yesterday alongside Zuma, six weeks after he promised fishermen that an urgent decision would be taken on the ban.

The perlemoen fishery, shut down early last year, would be reopened after February 1 when Joemat-Petterssen said she would declare what quantities could be harvested and where this would be permitted.

“The ban is not working and poaching is out of control. We lift the ban conditionally,” Joemat-Petterssen said.