The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of small-scale fishing communities in South Africa. Since the lockdown began, these communities have faced many challenges, from the initial restrictions on being able to fish to the inability to access markets for their catch.
For the past eight years, the WWF marine team has been working closely with small-scale fishers in Pringle Bay, Betty’s Bay and Kleinmond to ensure that they and the rich marine environment on their doorsteps thrive.
This is why for this year’s Mandela Day activity, WWF teamed up with its partners to put together food vouchers and care parcels for distribution to 94 active members of the Kogelberg fishing community to help them and their families through this time of crisis.
Once again, the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Barbara Creecy, who joined WWF for its Nelson Mandela Day activity in 2019, teamed up with WWF for the day. The Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries has successfully set up over 110 fishing co-operatives involving 10 500 individual fisher men and women throughout the country. In the past year all of these co-operatives have been issued with 15-year fishing rights, and work started to provide them with formal training and other forms of business support.
The Minister travelled to Kleinmond for an outside meeting with representatives of the community with all Covid-19 safety protocols observed.
Once the formalities were done, WWF volunteers delivered food vouchers and care packages containing hand sanitiser and masks to the homes of the 94 fishers.
Contributions towards the project came from WWF South Africa staff, Spar, DEFF, Coca Cola, Gift of the Givers and the project work sponsors for the Kogelberg work, namely BMZ and the Government of Flanders.
2020 | AGK FIRE INC