From a nationwide advocacy workshop and protest actions in Port Nolloth Northern Cape – attended by fishers and activists from the Northern, Western and Jap Cape and in addition KwaZulu-Natal – to a placard demonstration outdoors the Cape City Worldwide Conference Centre (CTICC), this was an enormous week for small-scale fisher communities and activists opposing offshore oil and fuel exploration.
The Inexperienced Connection’s Strategic Lead Liziwe McDaid says, “We have now travelled to the Northern Cape with the assist of fishers and different organisations from all around the nation, to assist the fishers of Port Nolloth of their battle towards Complete Energies. We’re right here to guarantee that these fishers’ voices are heard towards this onslaught.”
The nationwide small-scale fisher advocacy workshop is held yearly and included discussions on present oil and fuel initiatives proposed for numerous components of South Africa’s coast – from the Northern Cape right through to KZN – because it hyperlinks to different marine points that threaten fisher livelihoods. It was concluded on the workshop that the rights of fishers, which had been received by means of courtroom motion, should be carried out, and that co-management, which supplies fishers actual decision-making energy, should be carried out as a precedence.
Desmond D’Sa from the South Durban Group Environmental Alliance (SDCEA) says, “We’re right here to assist the communities of Port Nolloth towards the frenzy for oil and fuel on their shoreline and towards inexperienced hydrogen. Complete should cease undermining the folks, their communities, and their livelihoods as a result of the folks will stand up towards them.”
Two protest actions had been deliberate as a part of the workshop. The primary was outdoors a gathering the place TotalEnergies got here to talk to fishers, and one other as a present of solidarity towards DFFE who got here to interact fishers round their fishing rights.
Small-scale fisher from Port Nolloth Walter Steenkamp says, “We’re impressed by this present of solidarity from our fellow small-scale fishers and indigenous coastal communities in our battle towards TotalEnergies for jeopardising our livelihoods as fishers in these oceans.”
A robust message was despatched from fishers and activists – no to grease and fuel. The workshop resolved to proceed to defend the oceans and defend fisher livelihoods. human chain. The workshop additionally concluded that co-management.
The Inexperienced Connection’s Group Outreach Coordinator Neville Van Rooy says, “We got here right here from numerous provinces to ship a really sturdy and direct message to TotalEnergies that our ocean is not going to be looted for oil and fuel. The time for fossil fuels is over and we aren’t going to bow and let our oceans be stolen from us, as soon as once more.”
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