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Fisher people, Western Cape.
A group of small-scale fishers in Langebaan on the West Coast are calling on government to provide them with more economic opportunities in the fishing industry.
They are grappling to support their families or earn a living due to inadequate fishing rights allocations. They demand justice and dignity for all small-scale fishers.
Issues they are raising include the recognition of bonafide traditional fishers, the support of local fisher families with economic upliftment and an end to corruption and exclusion in the allocation of fishing rights.
They say their way of living is slowly dying out and the aim of their protest action is for their voices to be heard by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE).
Fishers Movement of Change Spokesperson, Carmen Rodgers explains, “We will no longer accept exclusion. We will no longer accept empty promises. The department has failed us, the fishing rights allocation process has deepened poverty and destroyed dignity. We cannot protect the ocean by destroying its people. We demand immediate engagement with the minister, a full inclusion policy and resource allocation recognition.”
The fisher people say government has cut their fishing right allocations over the last few years.
“We are struggling because we are no longer getting the fishing quotas that we need. There were eight or nine that were small scale and only three of our boats are allowed at sea, we are struggling and we need more assistance from government.”
DFFE issued a statement last week in anticipation of possible protest action by small-scale fishers in coastal communities across South Africa.
Accordingly the protests centre on fishing rights that were allocated under the previous administration, says the department’s spokesperson, Thobile Zulu-Molobi,
“DFFE will continue to engage openly and constructively with recognised representative structures including traditional leaders, registered cooperatives and civil society organisations. At the same time the department is making steady progress in its programme to revitalise South Africa’s long neglected fishing harbours.”
The department says the previous allocations are subject to a legally defined appeals process, which is already under way in several cases.
