We’ve wiped out 90% of the ocean’s large fish and governments are unaware and under-report how much the industry catches. With millions of tonnes being hauled out every year, it’s a race to the bottom.
Something has gone seriously wrong with the issuing of fishing quotas in pursuit of transformation, and it’s killing the historical small-boat industry that’s at the heart of picturesque harbours like Kalk Bay.
Foreign fishing boats docking in Cape Town do so behind a veil of secrecy. Crews are often only in port for a few days, their passports withheld and visits by locals are not easily permitted. Behind that veil are deaths at sea, suicide, shocking working conditions, unlicenced boats flying flags.