The formal submission by The Green Connection to the South African Human Rights Commission’s (SAHRC) National Investigative Hearing into South Africa’s food systems has put the spotlight on the systemic inequality faced by small-scale fishers.

“Food and the systems we put in place to produce it cannot be separated from human dignity, livelihoods, and cultural rights. These issues are not abstract policy debates,” said Khetha Buthelezi, economics officer at The Green Connection.

“For small-scale fishing communities, food from the ocean is not merely a commodity, it is a foundation of identity, survival and social cohesion,” said Buthelezi.

In Doring Baai, Western Cape, fisherwomen face a double burden. Deborah De Wee of the Spirit of Endeavour Co‑operative said: “Women are being excluded from crayfish permits and denied equal participation in the food system. For the past two years, fisherwomen in Doring Baai have had no income, leaving families vulnerable and increasing hunger.

“Instead of protecting women’s rights, permits were stopped, which punished women the most. This exclusion violates our rights to equality, livelihood, food, and participation, and it weakens both our community and our food security.”

Kristie Links from Sal-Diaz Small-Scale Fisher Co-operative in Saldanha Bay added: “Government says allocations have increased, but for us near-shore, access has actually been reduced, and fishing seasons are becoming shorter. Small-scale fishers are forced to use bigger boats, which we cannot afford, and the areas we are given have little or no fish.

“Yet industrial boats continue to overfish, especially at night, while our communities struggle to put food on the table. This situation is destroying our livelihoods, compromising our food security, and undermining our right to be recognised as small-scale fishers.“

In Mossel Bay, Emelin Mitchell of the Eden Small-Scale Fishers and Rasta Community described years of broken promises.

“Since 2016, permits, licences, and support have been promised but never delivered. Funding allocated since 2022 has not reached our communities. We struggle to access markets and resources, leaving our families hungry. Our land leases are reduced or not honoured, and our projects in fishing, tourism, and aquaculture are blocked. Some co-operatives have taken private loans of about R10,000 just to survive.”

Buthelezi stressed that the inquiry must address not just policy but the real-life impacts of offshore oil and gas expansion under Operation Phakisa.

“For small-scale fishers, these are not abstract environmental issues. It is about income stability, cultural survival, and the constitutional rights to food, livelihoods, and participation in decision-making, and protecting these rights and resources for future generations.”

He concluded: “If South Africa is serious about tackling hunger and inequality, it must ensure food systems governance is transparent, inclusive, and accountable. Coastal communities are not asking for charity; they are demanding justice.”

lilita.gcwabe@inl.co.za

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