The fishers from the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal visited Struisbaai as part of the exchange.
A Visit to Struisbaai
The second part of this fisher exchange took place in Struisbaai, one of the communities most integrated with ABALOBI's work. (Click here to read more about our C-FIP in Struisbaai).
Click here to read more about the first day of this exchange.
The group met with ABALOBI’s Struisbaai team at the harbour where, after a round of introductions, they briefly spoke with some local fishers. The visitors, all shore-based fishers, were curious about the boat-based fishing activity that predominates in Struisbaai during the summer months. Being able to compare their own experiences on the east coast with those of the south coast fishers led to some interesting insights: hearing about the challenges faced by the south coast fishers first-hand, and being able to relate to many of them, fostered an immediate sense of camaraderie.
Some Interesting Insights
“Wild Coast fishers struggle to sustain their livelihoods. I thought it was different in the Western Cape. However, it is interesting to note that all fishers everywhere have the same issues and struggles, like market access and poor market prices.”
The visitors were particularly interested in the indigenous fish traps visible along the Struisbaai shoreline, which are earmarked for restoration.
“Different things stood out for me today but at the fish trap visit, I learned about preserving the indigenous ways of fishing for future generations.”
Interactive Training and Review
After the harbour tour, the group reconvened at ABALOBI’s South Coast Hub. Following a brief presentation by the South Coast Community Engagement Coordinator on the history and growth of the Marketplace, the visitors attended an interactive ABALOBI Monitor training session.
The third and final day of the exchange was dedicated to reviewing and consolidating the learnings from the previous two days. Participants took two brief quizzes on the ABALOBI Fisher and Monitor apps. These quizzes aimed to boost their confidence and motivate them to stay engaged with the tech platforms beyond the exchange. The review sessions not only helped to resolve the fishers’ remaining questions about the material but also enabled facilitators to identify which topics require additional attention in future training sessions.
Conclusions
Overall, the exchange was a huge success. The fishers were engaged and eager to learn, and they thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to connect with members of a community so different from their own. They expressed a clear intention to share what they had learned with their fellow cooperative members back on the Wild Coast and were excited about using this learning opportunity to help develop small-scale fisheries in their home regions.