---
title: "The Lawless Ocean — an unfolding disaster for the love of fried fish"
description: "An alien civilisation coming across our solar system would name our planet Ocean, for most of Earth is under water. Being air-breathing and living on the bits that stick out, we mostly regard the vast liquid blue that surrounds us as a beautiful but often scary “other”. Billions of us, however, rely on it for food. This four-part series looks at the relationship between the creatures below the sea’s surface and the people in boats who catch them."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "KILLING FISH (A SERIES)"
author: "Don Pinnock"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/donpinnock/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-11-08-the-lawless-ocean-an-unfolding-disaster-for-the-love-of-fried-fish/"
published: "2023-11-08T09:32:47"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 112
---

# The Lawless Ocean — an unfolding disaster for the love of fried fish

> An alien civilisation coming across our solar system would name our planet Ocean, for most of Earth is under water. Being air-breathing and living on the bits that stick out, we mostly regard the vast liquid blue that surrounds us as a beautiful but often scary “other”. Billions of us, however, rely on it for food. This four-part series looks at the relationship between the creatures below the sea’s surface and the people in boats who catch them.

By Don Pinnock · Published 8 November 2023, 11:32 SAST

## Key points
- From forced labour and shark slayers to quota quagmires and fishing down the food web - the seas are in a state of lawlessness, with conservation taking a backseat.
- Forced labour on rust-bucket boats docking at Cape Town harbour
- Unfolding disaster for the love of fried fish
- Quota quagmire and crisis of fishing boats unable to fish
- Bye-bye big fish, hello jellyfish

## Content

[Part One: The Lawless Oceans — forced labour on rust-bucket boats docking at Cape Town harbour](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-11-01-lawless-oceans-forced-labour-on-rust-bucket-boats-in-a-cruel-sea/)

![Japanese fishing boats in Cape Town Harbour.
(Photo: Don Pinnock)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/Ht898aSBRaLNCTvQoUH9ejwBz-4=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Japanese-fishing-boats-in-Cape-Town-HarbourDon-Pinnock.jpg)

*Japanese fishing boats in Cape Town Harbour. (Photo: Don Pinnock)*

[Part Two: The price of fish & chips: The shark slayers and an unfolding disaster for the love of fried fish](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-11-02-the-price-of-fish-chips-the-shark-slayers-and-an-unfolding-disaster-for-the-love-of-fried-fish/)

![Most fishing outfits deny catching hammerhead sharks, because they are a protected species.
(Photo: Oliver Godfrey)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/eaGpaLLoH38CJU9nexB9kNQB-OQ=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Gaffed-hammerhead.jpg)

*Most fishing outfits deny catching hammerhead sharks, because they are a protected species. (Photo: Oliver Godfrey)*

[Part Three: The bureaucratic nightmare: Quota quagmire and the crisis of fishing boats unable to fish](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-11-05-quota-quagmire-and-the-crisis-of-fishing-boats-unable-to-fish/)

![When fishing was great off the Kalk Bay pier.
(Photo: Supplied)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/OCfg9PZKN26N-ODdNIOWu8HhuUQ=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/When-fishing-was-great-off-the-Kalk-Bay-pier-Supplied.jpg)

*When fishing was great off the Kalk Bay pier. (Photo: Supplied)*

[Part Four: Fishing down the food web: Bye-bye big fish, hello jellyfish and don’t talk about conservation](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-11-06-fishing-down-the-food-web-bye-bye-big-fish-hello-jellyfish-and-dont-talk-about-conservation/)

![Sardine catch off India.
(Photo: Supplied)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/H_eDcAuA0Y2aJEMzWlDEAdN-jSE=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Sardine-catch-off-India-Supplied.jpg)

*Sardine catch off India.(Photo: Supplied)*