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mean we should only involve ourselves with recording the past. We have here in Kalk Bay a

unique heritage. We have a past that is still alive and we should be involved in the decisions
about what happens to this Traditional Way of Life. It is part of Kalk Bay and that means it is

part of us, and we should do all we can to see it continue into the future.

The harbour with its boats and the fishermen make Kalk Bay the special place it is. The

fishing boats at Kalk Bay do not only provide a source of income for many families, they
have, over the years, been the starting ground where many youngsters have learned about the

sea. Many have gone on to do other things: shipwrights, engineers, missionaries, trawler

skippers, ship’s Captains - even manager of Cape Town Harbour. This has all been because
this Traditional Way of Life here in Kalk Bay is unique. It is unique because it has managed

to stay open, it has always been multiracial. It has revolved about the boats, the sea and

fishing! At the moment it is still like that and is the last remaining place like that on our
coastline.

It has not survived by accident nor has it survived because of the fishermen alone. Our
research has shown that the survival of this way of life is the result of a continuous struggle

by the local community, with support from many prominent people, to keep the traditional

way of life alive and open.

It has been interesting to note a pattern through the history, one that we can still recognise

today.

From the very beginning it has been a struggle between people with different ideas on what

could be done in Kalk Bay. There have been those with visions of developing a clean, healthy
holiday resort where landlords could rent out properties to visitors and provide them with a

boat for their recreation. Others had visions of a quiet village full of retirement homes for the
more affluent, and others have seen an ideal village for hotels. Unfortunately, there was

always the problem of the fishermen and on many occasions it was recommended that they be

removed to another area.