Durban - Subsistence ‘fisher folk’ in Durban have barely been making ends meet in recent months, following the contamination of Durban beaches, leaving them without a catch and unable to put food on the table.
But the contamination of water was no act of God, says many in the fishing community, including chairperson of the KZN Subsistence Fishing Forum (KZNSFF), John Narayanasamy and points to the failure by the eThekwini Municipality to maintain critical infrastructure.
Since beaches have been closed to the public, Narayanasamy said he had been inundated with calls from local fishing families seeking financial assistance.
Narayanasamy said that fisher folk are expected to make payments on their fishing licence annually but do not receive any assistance from the municipality when they are unable to fish.
“There are a lot of fisher folks who rely on fishing and the ocean to provide. When I say fisher folk, I mean men, women and children. Sometimes, from one household, the mother, father and children will fish.
“Take Isipingo, for example. There are residents living in close proximity. Most of them walk to the beaches to fish. Now, they are unable to go out and catch because of the condition of the water.
“During the sardine season, lots of other big fish come in with them. That gives an opportunity to fisher folk to make a big catch so they can earn more than usual. That did not happen because the beaches had to be closed,” Narayanasamy said.
The most recent effects of the contamination came to light in two successive incidents last month, at Isipingo beach and Blue Lagoon, two popular fishing spots found along the east coast.
Hundreds of dead fish at the Isipingo Lagoon, covered in green sludge.
— Dasen Thathiah (@DasenThathiah) August 10, 2022
It’s suspected a sewage leak could have contaminated the water but we are waiting for an official response from @eThekwiniM.
A clean up is under way, but the affected area is closed to the public. #eNCA pic.twitter.com/7cl4CmWDY8
From the information shared online by Talbot - the art of water, beaches along the Durban coastline, as well as the Umgeni River, contain an unusually high amount of E-coli.
This is a form of bacteria that often causes stomach-related illnesses like stomach cramps, diarrhoea and vomiting.
According to a Newzroom Afrika report, 17 of the 22 sewage pump stations in eThekwini are not working, allowing E-coli to flow almost freely into rivers and beaches.
[WATCH] Concern is mounting in Durban over the ongoing sewage spills. 17 of the 22 sewage pump stations are not working and e-Coli bacteria are flowing into rivers and beaches. @Karinda_J has more.#Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/1kfjaDWikG
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) September 5, 2022
Shoals of dead fish were seen floating atop the surface of the murky almost-green water.
After the incident at Blue Lagoon, municipality spokesperson Msawakhe Mayisela issued a statement urging residents to stay clear of the beaches until further notice.
He said the City was aware of the problem and that a “dark black effluent entered the Lagoon”.
“We are investigating this matter, as it could possibly be a very toxic effluent which could have been the cause of the sudden fish kill,” Mayisela added.
The City would like to caution the public against collecting and consuming dead fish from Isipingo beach lagoon.
— eThekwini Municipality (@eThekwiniM) August 9, 2022
In the interest of public safety, the City has taken a decision to prohibit access to the affected water courses until repairs to the pump station are finalised.
Logan Govender, a Chatsworth resident and member of the KZNSFF, said that he has been finding it “very difficult” to make ends meet.
The 68-year-old father was retrenched around ten years ago and has been fishing to earn a living ever since.
Because the waters in Durban have been contaminated, Govender and his two other friends, who together carpool to fishing destinations, said they now have to travel around 40km south, to Scottsburg or further down to Umtwalume, to fish.
But their days down south have not been filled with luck, as they walk away empty-handed on many occasions.
Usually, Govender said they would use R100 for fuel to travel from Chatsworth to Isipingo to fish, but they now use R400 on average for fuel.
Coupled with the rising cost of fuel and bait, putting food on the table has not been the easiest task of late for the 68-year-old.
Regardless of this, Govender says he still piously pays his fishing and bait licence, which is R76 each, respectively.
With just two weeks left before the shad season closes (December to September), Govender said that they are going out this Thursday to try and make up for the lost time.
The crew have been unable to fish for the past week due to the raging waters brought in by the spring tide.
“We used to fish locally, at Isipingo and Toti (Amanzimtoti). It was close, and the cost of petrol was minimal. Now we hardly catch anything because of the contamination and pollution.
“About 20% of what I used to catch, I would usually keep for my house, and the other 80% I would sell.
“But since things have changed, it has been hard. We used to fish six days a week, but now, if we are lucky, we get to fish three days a week,” Govender said.
IOL reached out to the municipality on Tuesday to ask how they can justify collecting annual fishing and bait fees but not maintain the beaches which enable subsistence fisher folk to earn a living.
We also asked the municipality when they foresee the beaches getting clear of the contamination.
We are awaiting their response.
IOL