Deon van Zyl's account is a window into the fragile balancing act of South Africa's small pelagic fishing sector - a sector buffeted by climate, politics and patchy surveys. For the people of Mossel Bay, though, the stakes are clear: when the factory doors close early, the whole town feels it.

Nestled on the South Coast in Mossel Bay, Afro Fishing is one of South Africa's few pilchard canneries - and the only one on this coast. During its peak season the factory employs up to 400 seasonal staff, feeding not just a market but a town. Deon van Zyl, who has spent more than two decades in the industry, is the chief executive of Afro Fishing with a deep commitment to keeping this small but critical sector alive. We spoke to him about fish stocks, government quotas and the precariousness of staying in business when policy and science collide.

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Tell us a bit about Afro Fishing -- how big are you, and what do you do?

We're a medium-sized company, competing in the small pelagic fishing sector. We have 29 permanent staff, and in season we employ about 400 seasonal workers. Our cannery is one of six fishing canners in the country and the only one on the South Coast - the rest are concentrated on the West Coast. We also have a fishing vessel, ice plant and fish meal and oil processing facility.

We process pilchards - or sardines, depending on what you call them. In the industry,...