Small-scale fishers protest offshore oil and gas exploration

From a national advocacy workshop and protest actions in Port Nolloth Northern Cape – attended by fishers and activists from the Northern, Western and Eastern Cape and also KwaZulu-Natal – to a placard demonstration outside the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), this was a big week for small-scale fisher communities and activists opposing offshore oil and gas exploration.

The Green Connection’s Strategic Lead Liziwe McDaid says, “We have travelled to the Northern Cape with the support of fishers and other organisations from all over the country, to support the fishers of Port Nolloth in their struggle against Total Energies. We are here to make sure that these fishers’ voices are heard against this onslaught.”

The national small-scale fisher advocacy workshop is held annually and included discussions on current oil and gas projects proposed for various parts of South Africa’s coast – from the Northern Cape all the way through to KZN – as it links to other marine issues that threaten fisher livelihoods. It was concluded at the workshop that the rights of fishers, which were won through court action, must be implemented, and that co-management, which gives fishers real decision-making power, must be implemented as a priority.

Desmond D’Sa from the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA) says, “We are here to support the communities of Port Nolloth against the rush for oil and gas on their coastline and against green hydrogen. Total must stop undermining the people, their communities, and their livelihoods because the people will rise up against them.”

Two protest actions were planned as part of the workshop. The first was outside a meeting where TotalEnergies came to speak to fishers, and another as a show of solidarity against DFFE who came to engage fishers around their fishing rights.

Small-scale fisher from Port Nolloth Walter Steenkamp says, “We are inspired by this show of solidarity from our fellow small-scale fishers and indigenous coastal communities in our struggle against TotalEnergies for jeopardising our livelihoods as fishers in these oceans.”

A strong message was sent from fishers and activists – no to oil and gas. The workshop resolved to continue to defend the oceans and protect fisher livelihoods. human chain. The workshop also concluded that co-management.

The Green Connection’s Community Outreach Coordinator Neville Van Rooy says, “We came here from various provinces to send a very strong and direct message to TotalEnergies that our ocean will not be looted for oil and gas. The time for fossil fuels is over and we are not going to bow and let our oceans be stolen from us, once again.”