“Fisheries policy is founded on two fundamental principles: that fisheries resources belong to all of South Africa’s people, and that these resources shuld be utilised on a sustainable basis. South Africa’s management authorities face a growing need for the incorporation of socio-economic information in the management of fisheries. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to our understanding of the scio-economic contribution of fisheries to South Africa’s economy and legal, policy, and management context within the three main South African fisheries sectors (commercial, small-scale/subsistence, and recreational) operate.”