Arnie de Ross, 69, has been fishing off South Africa’s Kalk Bay since 1969.

On New Year’s Eve, he learned he and his son Kevin were denied their line fishing rights applications. Their boats were docked. If they went fishing, they’d be in violation of the law.

An estimated 1,500 South Africa traditional line fishermen — including permit holders and crew — started 2014 without an income, losing the right to fish when their permit applications were denied by the government, according to an IndependentOnline report.

Of the 303 traditional line fish permit holders operating during 2013, just 115 were granted rights to continue fishing (and to reapply for permits) in the new year, the report said. Along with the 115 rights holders, 100 new applicants were granted rights.

This drew criticism from established line fishermen and their representative body, the South African Commercial Line Fishing Association.

“Fishing is my entire life,” de Ross said. “With the stroke of a pen the department has effectively retrenched me – fired me from my job without a pension and without a payout. Our family cannot survive if I cannot fish… I feel that my long history as a fisherman should count for something.”

South Africa’s Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries denied the permit application renewals. Rights expired at midnight on New Year’s Eve for the denied applicants, IndependentOnline reports.

Among those denied is a group of fishing boat owners in Kalk Bay who say the government has robbed them, their employees and those who act as middlemen between fishermen and consumers, of jobs.

Desmond Stevens, deputy-director general for fisheries, defended the fishing rights permit allocation process.

The department announced the new rights before Dec. 31, he said, defending the permit application process as competitive. Applicants were subject to predefined criteria, and failure to qualify meant their applications were denied.

“There is an appeal process, and unsuccessful applicants have every right to challenge the decision,” he said.

Breaking the news to his crew on New Year’s was a difficult call, said Kevin de Ross, 47. “I could not wish them a happy new year, because I had to break the news that they no longer had jobs.”

The last permit rights allocations were made in 2005.

“(The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries) is being totally unrealistic by replacing rights holders with between 10 and 30 years’ experience with new entrants,” said Wally Croome, chairman of the South African Commercial Line Fishing Association. “This could well have a knock-on effect to the productivity of the sector and possibly result in declining catches which will in turn have a dramatic impact on marketing dynamics.”

“With an average investment of 400,000 rand per permit rights holder, a total of 75-million rand will be (compromised),” Croome said.

Unsuccessful applicants have until the end of January to appeal.