Before sunrise on the West Coast, small-scale fishers head out to sea to feed their families, just as generations before them have done. For Deborah de Wee, the ocean is more than a source of income, it is heritage, identity and survival. As a wave of new mining and prospecting applications targets the coastline, she and others say they fear their way of life is being pushed aside as development expands along the shore.
Heritage Under Threat
Speaking at the Ripple Effect Gathering in Langebaan on March 14, De Wee said fishing communities feel increasingly excluded as development pressures intensify. The government does not protect the fishers of the West Coast, but gives priority to development and mining without sufficient concern for our livelihoods, according to De Wee. Fishing is a cultural right of the indigenous people of South Africa, as stated on the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries website.
More than 150 representatives, including fishers, indigenous leaders, scientists and political figures, attended the gathering, which participants described as a critical moment for the region. Organisers and researchers at the gathering said the region is facing a sharp increase in mining and prospecting applications, including for heavy minerals, rare earth elements and offshore diamonds, raising concerns about the cumulative impact on coastal ecosystems and livelihoods.
Sustainable Alternatives
Mining remains a key economic sector in the region, supporting jobs and export revenue, but communities say the benefits are unevenly felt. Indigenous leaders at the gathering stressed the importance of consultation. Gaob Martinus Fredericks, representing the Nama people, said sustainable alternatives such as ecotourism could offer longer-term benefits if communities are included in decision-making. Our people have lived here for thousands of years, as described on the Wikipedia page on the Nama people.
The following are some of the concerns raised by the community:
- Potential long-term consequences for biodiversity and people
- Uneven distribution of benefits from mining activities
- Exclusion of fishing communities from decision-making processes
Adding to community concerns, Protect the West Coast managing director Mike Schlebach said research presented at the gathering suggests the region is approaching a critical threshold. The West Coast is at a tipping point, according to Schlebach. We risk losing birds, animals and ecosystems that cannot be restored.
