More support needed for South Africa's subsistence fishermen

DURBAN: Bobby Moodliar, 52, is one of thousands of subsistence fishermen trying to eke out a living from the waters around South Africa's port city of Durban. Until a few years ago, he was able to support his entire family from the fish he caught in the city's harbour, which is regarded as one of the most important fish nurseries in the Indian Ocean and is home to salmon, shad, barracuda, and various species of migratory fish.

Photo: Kleinz1/flickr

"There is no better place to fish than the harbour area. There fish are bountiful, and you make a good living if you come at the right time of the day," he told IRIN. "When fishing was good to me... my wife was not working and I was able to support my family and send kids to school."

But fishing in the harbour, as well as its north and south piers, has been off-limits since 2009, when port authorities imposed a ban based on the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code, developed in response to perceived threats to ship and port facilities after the 9/11 attacks. Since then, Moodliar and his family have been struggling to get by on his wife's salary from working at a local shoe factory.

Read the full article on www.irinnews.org.