For immediate release
5 November 2024
From 23-25 October 2024, Masifundise and Coastal Links hosted the largest Fisher People’s Conference of the past decade, bringing together over 85 fisher representatives from coastal and inland communities across South Africa, including KwaZulu-Natal, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, Western Cape and the Free State. This Conference followed the Fisher People’s Tribunal held in August, where coastal and inland fishers presented six cases to a jury. Drawing from testimonies and evidence provided by fishers, the jury was tasked with drafting a verdict that would outline the outcomes of these cases and offer recommendations to both state and non-state entities, to be presented at the Fisher Peoples Conference.
The Preliminary Jury Statement
At the Conference, a preliminary statement by the jury was delivered. The statement offered observations and recommendations to empower fishers as they continue to advocate for the realisation of their rights and safeguarding their livelihoods.
“Our statement, at this stage, addresses the challenges and dilemmas currently faced by small-scale fishers. As we present this, we honor the resilience of these communities and reaffirm our commitment to their ongoing struggle for food sovereignty, climate justice, and the protection of their livelihoods and cultural heritage” stated Ben Cousins, a jury member, who delivered the statement at the Conference.
The statement identifies seven key issues impacting fisher people in South Africa:
1) Sustained mobilisation and advocacy by civil society groupings were required to put a small-scale fisheries policy in place after 1994, and will continue to be necessary
2) Progressive policies are contradicted and undermined by regulations and inadequate implementation
3) Government is biased towards commercial fisheries and the open access recreational sector
4) Problematic assumptions and biases against small-scale fishers are rooted in fundamental economic policy choices by the post-apartheid state, premised on pro-market and pro-business paradigms
5) Foreign and domestic corporations’ impact small-scale fishing communities and their coastal marine and riverine environments in the context of limited recognition of their land rights, legal consultation requirements, and irregularities in environmental impact assessments
6) Criminalisation and displacement of small-scale fishing communities via privatisation, fortress conservation and disaster management
7) As outlined in the points above, the human rights and environmental crisis impacting on the lives and livelihoods of the fishers in South Africa calls into question the countries commitment to its Constitutional provisions and international human rights obligations
The preliminary jury statement serves as a strategic tool for small-scale fishing communities to build stronger positions and develop strategies for the future of the fisher movement in South Africa. As part of the statement the jury urged the South African government to take responsibility for the challenges facing small-scale fishing communities,
“While the Fisher People’s Tribunal does not function as a formal judicial body, we feel compelled to issue this statement based on national and international laws and the evidence presented. We urge the South African government to consider these findings seriously and to take concrete and immediate action to meet its national and international commitments.”
Absence of the Minister of DFFE
The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), Dion George, along with the departmental delegation, was invited to attend the Fisher Peoples Conference to engage directly with coastal and inland fishers from rural communities and to hear the jury’s statement, which includes critical recommendations for addressing the challenges faced by small-scale fishers. Regrettably, the Minister did not respond to the invitation or attend the conference. It is disappointing that the DFFE Ministry failed to acknowledge or participate in one of the largest gatherings of small-scale fishers and neglected to acknowledge Coastal Links, the only national-level fisher organisation in South Africa.
Key Outcomes and Positions from Coastal Links
During the Fisher Peoples Conference, participants engaged in strategic discussions to address the key issues affecting their livelihoods. The main outcomes and positions outlined by Coastal Links include:
• Coastal Links fishers oppose extractive activities such as mining and oil and gas developments in their oceans. The organisation will join the Right to Say No campaign,
highlighting the repeated protests, public meetings, and consultations where their voices have gone unheard by both companies and the government. They demand their right to oppose such projects be respected and taken seriously.
• Coastal Links advocates for local management of their land and waters, opposing the imposition of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) managed externally. They propose locally managed protection areas rooted in indigenous knowledge, asserting, “Let us manage our own land and waters—we want real co-management.”
• Coastal Links notes that the Small-scale Fisheries Policy has not been adequately implemented by the government. They demand that the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE) listens to fishers’ voices and revises its approach to align with the original objectives of the policy. Should this not occur, Coastal Links has indicated they will pursue legal action to ensure their demands are met.
• Inland fishers are frustrated by the slow pace of policy implementation and call on the DFFE to provide provisional measures for accessing dams to secure food and income until access rights are granted.
• Coastal Links demands increased local control over food production systems to ensure affordable, healthy, and nutritious food for their communities. This includes having authority over the basket of species, permit conditions (such as the number of fishing days), and the ability to hold more than one permit.
• Coastal Links points out that small-scale fishing communities have largely been excluded from climate change policies and decision-making processes. Fishers insist that their indigenous knowledge and observations regarding the impacts of climate change on marine environments be integrated into climate policy discussions.
• Coastal Links demands immediate implementation of co-management practices and seeks clarity from the DFFE on the plans to streamline the bureaucracy involved in accessing fishing permits.
These positions reflect the urgent need for policies that recognize and empower small-scale fishers, ensuring their voices are heard and their rights protected.
Finally, it is to be noted that the jury statement is a preliminary statement, not the final verdict. The final verdict of the Fisher People’s Tribunal will be released by the end of the year.
Click here to download the full preliminary jury statement
For media enquiries contact:
• Jordan Volmink – Media Officer
jordan@masifundise.org.za
• Carmen Mannarino – Programme manager
carmen@masifundise.org.za