He was speaking to departmental officials during the final day of the public hearings on transformation in the fishing industry.
He said it was not acceptable that, in spite of 17 years of democracy fishing rights should still be denied to historically marginalised people. The exploitation of fishermen by fishing companies and the mysterious deaths of fishermen were also unacceptable.
"The industry becomes more defined by fraud and crime, instead of transformation, and that cannot be tolerated any longer," said Johnson.
The major problems which fishermen highlighted in their oral and written submissions included fraud, not adhering to the South African labour laws, fronting of black fishermen (in some cases without their knowledge), not paying basic wages and a lack of safety for fishermen in the fishing industry.
As a way forward, members of the committee told the department to call fishing summits in all the provinces for the purposes of explaining transformation policies. The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries should monitor transformation of the fishing industry far more closely.
Johnson appealed to all the stakeholders to work together to ensure that the fishing sector becomes what was envisaged by all South Africans.
"Let's build a fishing sector that will make a profound contribution in the South African economy."
The stakeholders that participated in the public hearings included Food and Allied Workers Union (FAWU), Hout Bay Fishers, TREK Fishers, Kalk Bay Forum of Fishers and individual fishermen.
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