History
Our History
The cluster was formed in 1997 by a group of enterprising Close Corporations namely, Risar Fishing CC and Al Aman Fishing CC and later joined by Zimele Fishing CC that were all allocated fishing right through transformation since 1995.
Entering an industry being oligopolistic, few large companies monopolised the industry. They encouraged new entities with small non-viable fishing rights to sell there right under market value thus making growth difficult in the early stages, but the members in the new entities being fisher folk soon realised that they were on the verge of becoming paper quota holders, a strategy that led to the demise of many a new entities.
Entrepreneurs
These entrepreneurs planned against all the odds, to work toward independence and consolidated their small non-viable rights, thus using it as a demonstration so that the previously disadvantage people could effectively and successfully utilise their rights and growth.
These entities having consolidated their fishing rights allocations that were not viable at the time to create a pool of allocations that allowed the company to invest in plant and effectively utilise the fishing rights with their own capacity, their expertise, infrastructure and resources in an effort to create a joint venture company with sufficient fishing capacity to sustain and justify investment in a fish processing establishment and vessels.
This demonstration of investment, job creation, effective utilisation of fishing rights and it’s 100% HDI status resulted in recognition by the right allocation processes from time to time with the ultimate long-term allocation justifiably allocating the cluster of rights it currently has.
Shareholders
The members and shareholders are involved in the day-to-day operation of the business and are made up of fishermen and businesspersons alike, who have experience in the fishing industry as highly qualified skippers, mates, motormen, fishermen and experts in the harvesting, processing and marketing of fish as well as a strong business acumen.
The entire financial and administration of the company is managed and controlled by the women members in the right holding entities.
The members of the rights holding entities are serving on the board of directors for Rial Fishing and the vessel owning entities and have a history in the setting up of fishing forums for Small Quota Holders, and Pelagic and Hake Long Line Associations in the Eastern Cape, with the intention of establishing a greater presence of responsible HDI’s in the fishing industry.
Previously Disadvantaged Folk
These fisher folk, having in the past been disadvantaged by unfair discrimination on the basis of their race, have successfully evolved from HDI entrepreneurs to successful and capable business people with the expertise, capacity, knowledge and ability to grow into the mainstream industry of the South African economy as major role players in the fishing industry.