From 29 September to 2 October 2025, Coastal Links and Masifundise hosted the National Strategic Forum in Strand, Cape Town uniting fisher representatives from across the country to address the urgent challenges facing coastal and inland fishing communities. Over four days, participants shared their lived experiences, debated critical issues, and shaped collective resolutions to guide the movement’s work in the year ahead.
The forum created space for regional breakaway sessions, where fishers discussed the specific struggles affecting their areas, from resource access to ongoing policy obstacles. A dedicated session focused on revitalising Coastal Links at a regional level, with the long-term goal of building a stronger, more coordinated national voice. These conversations resulted in key resolutions that will steer the movement’s direction going forward.
A major highlight of the gathering was an engagement with the newly appointed Director of Small-Scale Fisheries Management, Lungelwa Nomxego. Fishers were able to speak directly about the challenges they face daily, grounding the discussion in real community experiences. The session set the tone for an ongoing relationship rooted in the principle: “Nothing about us, without us.”
The forum also featured the presentation of Reclaiming Our Seas: Fishers’ Counter-Mapping as Resistance to Marine Spatial Planning. The report breaks down Marine Spatial Planning, explains its impacts on coastal communities, and shares stories illustrating how traditional fishing grounds overlap with mining, aquaculture, tourism, and Marine Protected Areas. It concludes with clear demands for a more just and inclusive approach to ocean governance.
The 2025 National Strategic Forum reaffirmed the strength of collective action. With new resolutions and active working groups, looking at various themes, fishing communities are better positioned to advance their rights and protect their livelihoods in the year ahead.