Small-scale fishers stage nationwide protests against ‘unfair’ policies

South Africa’s small-scale fishing communities have launched protests at harbours countrywide, demanding an urgent overhaul of SA’s fishing rights regime and greater recognition of their traditional knowledge.

The protests, which unfolded peacefully under police presence, brought into sharp relief the tensions between local livelihoods, marine conservation policies and what fishers call the unchecked dominance of big commercial trawlers.

Earlier this month, the call went out for protesters to show up at 40 coastal sites with placards and hand-delivered letters carrying a common message: coastal communities feel abandoned by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) under minister Dr Dion George.

‘We know these waters’

For Bridgette Oppelt, a fisher and community organiser from Mitchells Plain, the fight is personal and generational.

“Our coastline is rich — False Bay alone can feed so many of our families,” she said, standing at the entrance to Kalk Bay harbour, flanked by fellow fishers and law enforcement officers.

“But government policies shut us out, while commercial trawlers come right into our waters, hauling up everything, even fish that we’re told are ‘red-listed’ and must be thrown back.”

This is a long-standing issue that rankles small-scale fishers. They argue that they target specific species using traditional handline and trek-netting methods, which minimise bycatch fishing rights regime — the unintentional catch of non-target species.

Large industrial trawlers, by contrast, deploy massive nets and longlines that scoop up all marine life in their path. Fish that do not meet market demand are dumped at sea — a practice fishers say is not only wasteful but deeply unjust in a country where fishing is both livelihood and heritage.

“Since my grandfather’s time, we have known when to fish, where to fish and when to stop,” said Val Arendse, a veteran trek-netter with more than two decades of experience. “Scientists who sit in offices can’t tell me there’s no fish when we see the shoals ourselves. We need them to come out to sea with us, see what we see.”

‘It’s our birthright’

At the heart of the fishers’ anger is the Fishing Rights Allocation Process (Frap) — a system they say has long favoured large commercial operations, leaving small-scale operators with crumbs.

Oppelt explains: “Before small-scale rights were recognised, the quotas were all allocated to big companies. Now, even with cooperatives, our people are getting 33 kilos each, while commercial boats get tonnes. And this coastline — it’s our birthright — has been closed off to us for nearly 20 years.”

Community members say they must now travel far beyond their home harbours to access fish, which increases costs and puts their small boats and crews at risk. Meanwhile, foreign-owned vessels and even Johannesburg-based companies — far from the communities who rely on the sea daily — continue to profit.

“Why must we go all the way to Mossel Bay when there is plenty of fish in False Bay?” asked Kalk Bay fisher Kobus Poggenpoel. “And why does a company registered in Joburg have a quota for our coast? We live here. This ocean feeds us.”

Call for dialogue

The protests follow months of what communities describe as stonewalling by the DFFE. The Fishers’ Movement for Change (FMFC), a national umbrella group for small-scale and indigenous fishing communities, said it formally requested a high-level meeting in early June to address what it called an escalating crisis in the sector. When no concrete response came by the agreed deadline, the FMFC announced nationwide mobilisation.

“When government ignores the people’s call, the people will rise to reclaim their voice and their rights,” read a statement issued by FMFC liaison officer Brett Lucian Arendze.

Protest leaders say they have repeatedly asked for dialogue but feel Minister George is hiding behind his predecessor’s mistakes, ignoring the urgent need to revisit outdated allocations of fishing rights and species lists.

‘Disruption and intimidation’

George’s office responded to the protests with concern, warning that threats to block roads and disrupt harbour operations would not be tolerated. In a media statement last week, the DFFE described the protests as “disruption and intimidation”, which harmed the very communities they claimed to represent.

“Government cannot and will not allow public roads or national infrastructure to be obstructed,” said the minister, adding that any disputes over fishing rights must be resolved through legal appeals, not street protests. The police presence at every harbour has underscored the government’s insistence that operations continue as normal.

Fishers say the law enforcement shows how quick the government is to protect harbours for commercial interests and tourism — and how slowly it moves when it comes to real conversations about rights and livelihoods.

As Oppelt put it: “They think we’re hooligans. But we are fishers. We are not criminals.”

The department’s reply

The DFFE has pointed to what it describes as major upgrades at South Africa’s 12 proclaimed fishing harbours, with more than 15 sites receiving new safety, security, and infrastructure improvements over the past year.

“These harbours are more than physical structures. They are the engine rooms of local economies,” said George recently. He praised the revitalisation programme as an investment in coastal communities, with upgrades ranging from new signage to round-the-clock surveillance and the removal of abandoned vessels.

But to many fishers, these upgrades miss the point.

“You can build us a beautiful harbour,” said Pedro Garcia, a community leader in St Helena Bay, “but what good is it if we have no boats, no access to the fish and no say in how the ocean is managed? Infrastructure without fair rights is useless.”

Local knowledge

Fishers argue that traditional, local knowledge must be brought back to the centre of decision-making.

“They pay people with university degrees to come and tell us how the ocean works,” says Arendse. “We are the ones risking our lives out there. We know the seasons. We know when to stop so that fish stocks recover. If they would just sit around the table with us — all stakeholders under one roof — we could fix this.”

Some fishers even invited the minister to join them on the water. “Come fishing with us,” said Arendse with a wry smile. “Sit in your luxury car if you want, but you’ll learn more at sea than any report on your desk.”

Inaction breeds criminality

As the protests rippled from harbour to harbour, it’s clear that the small-scale fishing sector feels unseen and unheard. Many fear that if their calls for fairer access, proper consultation and a re-examination of quotas go unanswered, more coastal families will be forced into illegal fishing simply to survive, feeding a cycle of criminalisation.

For now, the doors remain open for dialogue.

“It is not for us to remind government of their obligations,” said Garcia. “It is for government to remember who they serve. We want to fish, we want to feed our families, and we want to do it the right way. But they must meet us halfway.” DM