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Facing Change with Courage
A reform for the political elite
Interim Relief or no relief at all
Latest News
Human rights and accountability will ensure the road to Rio isn’t a dead end
If the Rio+20 summit is to establish sustainable development goals worthy of the name, we must learn from past mistakes. Why is sustainable development failing? Try asking those who feel the fallout. Two decades after the groundbreaking earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, world leaders will gather in June for the sequel: Rio+20. Establishing a [...]
COFI – National Workshop to formulate a set of Voluntary Guidelines on Small-scale Fishery
In February 2011 the Committee on Fisheries (COFI) of FAO decided to proceed with the formulation of a set of Voluntary Guidelines on Small-scale Fishery (VG-SSF). These guidelines would be international in scope and would be developed with the participation of civil society groups at a national and international level. Due to our affiliation to [...]
African Fishers at COP17
Call to all governments of national states of the world – especially those attending the COP17 on Climate Change – to take heed of the effects that rapidly changing climate conditions have on the livelihoods of the people of the world. View COP17 Statement (.pdf)
Another victory for Coastal Links
On 23rd September, net- fishers from Struisbaai and Langebaan descended upon Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) en masse to demand their long- awaited net fishing permits. This demand was based on the Equality Court Order signed by Judge Nathan Erasmus (in an application brought by Masifundise and the fishers) on 5 July 2010 [...]
Final Draft Small-Scale Fishery Policy goes to NEDLAC
NEDLAC presented the final draft Small-scale Fishery policy to each constituent member for perusal on 12 September. This is in anticipation of the NEDLAC Fishery Task Team meeting scheduled for Friday 23rd September 2011. Members were requested to submit their initial comments by the 21 September 2011. This is the final hurdle that must still [...]
Fishers are preparing for the 2011 fishing season
DAFF completed a public participation process to verify the Small- Scale Fishers (SSF) for the 2011 fishing season which starts on 15 November 2011. They visited 33 coastal communities along the Western Cape and Northern Cape coastlines during the period 8 – 16 August 2011 and are currently finalizing their findings. Successfully verified fishers will [...]
Coastal Links goes on a Road Show
During the period 13 – 24 June 2011, the Coastal Links Executive embarked on a road show- visiting 20 fishing communities over 2 Provinces. The aim of the roadshow was to touch base with Coastal Links membership, give an update on the policy process and to offer support to the local branches. Many questions around [...]
Doringbaai Fishers receives a R3 million injection from DTI
A cooperative established with a R3 million government grant, given to a group of 120 fishermen in Doring Bay and Ebenhaezer on the West Coast, could act as a model for the rest of the country’s small-scale fishermen who have been struggling to sustain their livelihood in the face of fishing- quota restrictions Doring Bay [...]
Women in Fisheries Small-scale Fishing
That women living and working in traditional fishing communities have historically played a very significant role in the development of the fishing industry in South Africa, as well as in the sustenance of our coastal communities, our families and their livelihoods. Women have historically been involved in fisheries in many different ways, harvesting a variety [...]
Women in SA fishing communities stand up for their human rights
After 10 years of struggle, traditional fishing communities in South Africa are finally on the brink of securing their historical fishing rights. The signing of an agreement during 2007 by the Minister of Environmental Affairs in which the government committed to developing a new policy for traditional small scale fishers, including subsistence fishers, that recognised [...]
Coastal Links
Coastal Links is a community based network of fishing coastal communities in the Western Cape whose establishment was facilitated by Masifundise in 2004. Coastal Links comprises fisher associations; women’s groups; youth groups; sports and cultural groups; general community based organisations; and individual community members.
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Peter Cloete Relief Fund
In honor of Oom Peter Cloete – Ebenhaezer, who died at sea on the 30 March 2010.
Peter Cloete, fondly known as Oom Peter was a fisher from Ebenhaeser - a small fishing community along the Olifantsriver on the North West Coast of South Africa. He was both a fisher and a community leader and took the defense of his communities fishing tradition very seriously. Read More
