Press release
This World Oceans Day, we would do well to remember that the ocean sustains all life on Earth, regulating the climate and producing over half the oxygen we breathe.
Our oceans are also the source of livelihoods for millions of people across the planet, including many fishing communities here in South Africa.
From chefs in high-end restaurants to small-scale fishers on our rugged coastline, working with schools and promoting special small-scale fishing zones, WWF is prioritising a new, more inclusive way to conserve our marine environment.
A focus for this work will be empowering local communities to be stewards of nature. One such example will be looking at protecting 84 000 ha within False Bay in the Western Cape through the means of “other effective area-based conservation measures” or OECMs.
An OECM is a clearly defined biodiverse area on land or at sea that is not formally protected but is managed with local communities and individuals to conserve biodiversity over the long term. OECMs help to protect nature while supporting compatible cultural, social and economic values, and activities of the people who depend on these land and seascapes.
WWF consistently advocates for an ecosystems approach towards managing South Africa’s rich marine resources. It does this through a variety of measures.
In Port Edward in KwaZulu-Natal, the establishment of a community fishing forum has ushered in a new era for small-scale fishers who now have a much-needed platform to voice their concerns and actively participate in decision-making processes that affect their livelihoods. WWF also supports the creation of small-scale fishing zones (SSFZ) where communities can be more actively involved in conservation efforts.
In addition, the WWF Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (WWF-SASSI) is working closely with the Pick n Pay schools club which is educating future leaders. Using WWF-SASSI tools, they encourage children to share their new-found knowledge at home about how families can protect the oceans by making more sustainable seafood choices.
And across the country, celebrated chefs who partner with WWF’s Southern Africa Sustainable Seafood Initiative (WWF-SASSI) are championing the message about sustainable seafood.
“Sustainable seafood has become one of the most important global conversations within the hospitality and food industries, but it is also one of the most complex,” says De Tafel’s highly acclaimed chef Greg Henderson, “Sustainability should include an understanding of where the product comes from, who caught it, how it was caught, the impact on marine ecosystems and the social benefit to coastal communities.”
Local celebrity chef Zana Alvarado (founder of MESTIZO) says, “Globally, chefs face challenges around overfishing, climate change, traceability, and supply chain transparency but where the industry is succeeding is in certification, innovation, and growing demand for responsibly sourced seafood.”
Photo by Stéfano Girardelli on Unsplash
Relevant Agribook pages include “Fisheries and the ocean economy.”
