We present the last edition of The Hook for 2015 as the momentous year rapidly draws to a close.
The Hook is the weekly electronic newsletter of Masifundise Development Trust and Coastal Links South Africa that keeps readers up to date on developments in the small-scale fisheries sector.
The Hook has a growing readership locally and internationally and complements the role of Fishers Net, our quarterly newsletter that appears in English, Afrikaans, Xhosa and Zulu.
This year our preoccupation has been with the implementation of the small-scale fisheries policy for which we struggled for more than ten years.
It is a great policy, it offers us new hope and it signals a break with the past. It has the potential to empower fishing communities so that they move from servitude to economic and social independence.
All this depends on the comprehensive and effective implementation of the policy. We are very concerned that this process is taking long. That government is dragging its feet; that the political will for implementation does not appear strong enough.
In 2016, we will redouble our efforts to ensure implementation happens and that it furthers the cause of social justice for small-scale fishers.
The first edition of The Hook for 2016 will appear on 27 January. We look forward to interacting with you from then, for the rest of the year.
Have a good festive season and be safe.
The Editorial Team
The Hook
The Hook editorial team consists of Nosipho Singiswa, Moegsien Ismail and Mansoor Jaffer.