Page 118 - KBHA BULLETIN 3
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sea for some reason, they are free to look for a site on one that is going out.
This week there’s good fish, tomorrow none. Some seasons the snoek don’t turn up, other
years there is a bonanza. It has always been like that and no doubt it will continue like that.
The fishermen are, and always have been, forced to move away to other areas when there are
no fish here. In the past the entire fleet would move around to Hout Bay, Dassen Island or
Stompneusbay. The difference is that today the fishermen move to the ski-boats, but the
tradition remains. It is not new, it has always been like that.
Ownership of the boats also changes often. For example, the Star of the Sea once belonged to
the Edwards family. Now it belongs to the Poggenpoels. The Ivy Doreen and Ang-Jerry now
belong to Mr Achmat, and it doesn’t matter if the new owner once worked for the council and
has a small pension, or whether he was paid off early by the railways. He is now the boat
owner and it is his boat that offers the work to the fishermen and it is they who carry on
keeping this Traditional Way of Life alive. This is not new, it has always been like that!
It is important to realise that the majority of fishermen who make their living out of this
harbour are a moving population.
By that I mean they do not live here in Kalk Bay. It is only a small percentage of the people
actively involved in Kalk Bay Harbour who live in Kalk Bay. This applies to the boat owners
too. The majority do not live in Kalk Bay, they travel here every day and go home after the
day’s fishing. Again this is not new, it has been like that for years.
We need to remember that it is this population that keeps the whole tradition going. Is it not
time to stop thinking that the harbour belongs only to a few who reside here in Kalk Bay?
And whenever plans for the future are discussed all those who depend on the harbour for their
livelihood should be involved. There is no person or group that has a sole mandate to talk on
behalf of all these people! And I can assure you that not all of those fishing out of Kalk Bay
are included in, or let alone aware of, some of the schemes being put forward.
