Masifundise Development Trust is one of the oldest non-governmental
organisations in South Africa and for the last seven years, this strong
and independent organisation has been engaged in development
work with rural fi shing and coastal communities on the west and
south coasts of the Western Cape, South Africa.
Through its work with these communities, Masifundise has become increasingly
aware of the enormous challenges faced by traditional artisanal and subsistence fi shers
as they compete within the local and current global fi sheries market.
The organisation believes that building the capacity of fi sher and coastal communities
to organise and build strong structures and networks that are informed and able to
engage with marine and coastal policy issues on a local and regional level, will enable
them to protect and promote their right to marine resources and sustainable coastal
development.
Masifundise, as part of its capacity building programme, organised a three-day conference
from the 2 - 7 November 2004 for community leaders from fi shing and coastal
communities throughout the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.
The objectives of the conference were:
·To establish links between fi shing communities in order to build
solidarity and share information about fi sheries in the region;
·To build awareness of the content of the SADC Protocol and other
regional instruments that can be used to protect and extend the
rights of small-scale fi shers in the region;
· To gather information about and highlight the conditions, resource
needs and key problems facing small-scale fishers in SADC
countries;
· To identify specifi c advocacy interventions at regional level in
order to promote and protect the access of small-scale fi shers to
marine resources and sustainable development.
Fifty-two delegates from Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Angola, Mozambique, Namibia,
Zimbabwe, Seychelles, Mauritius and South Africa, representing both government and
traditional artisanal fi shers, attended the conference that was held in Simonstown near
Cape Town, South Africa.
Every effort was made to include all the countries in the Southern African region.
Unfortunately communication with local fi sher organisations in the countries not represented
was diffi cult.
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