Wreck removal of grounded fishing trawler, FV Elke-M underway in St Francis Bay: SAMSA

Pretoria: 27 November 2024

Work on the removal of the last batch of loosened parts of the wreck of the fishing trawler, FV Elke M, that ran aground near St Francis Bay in the Eastern Cape in January 2024, has resumed, the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) confirmed at the weekend.

According to SAMSA, the removal of the loose steel parts of the vessel began on Thursday last week and continues this week.

Resumption of the work, halted since May 2024 due to a hostile wintry weather characterised by strong winds and huge waves along the Cape of Good Hope Ocean corridor, began last week following the completion an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) under Section 30 of National Environmetral Management Act (NEMA) by an expert environmentalist and scientist, Dr Warwick Sauer, of the faculty of Ichthyology and Fisheries Sciences at Rhodes University.

The EIA findings of Dr. Warwick, as reported by SAMSA, indicated that the reduced steel structural portion of the vessel, which was left on the coastline at Shark Point, near St. Francis Bay, had since firmly settled on the rocky shoreline at a much faster rate than had been anticipated. The steel was divided into three parts.

The grounding incident of FV Elke M, a Port Elizabeth registered 376-ton (gross) fishing trawler, measuring 33 meters in length and eight (8) meters wide, with a deadweight tonnage of some 194 tons, occurred on a late Saturday evening on 06 January 2024, on a rocky coastal area of the Cape coast in the Eastern Cape some two kilometres southeast of St Francis Bay.

Within hours of the incident, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) assisted in the secure evacuation of all 22 crew members aboard the vessel.

Salvage work was initiated shortly thereafter to reduce and remove the vessel’s 35 tons of marine fuel and approximately 2000 litres of lubricating oil. Subsequently, in May 2024, after additional evaluations of its disfigured and torn bare structure, which was divided into three sections, it was determined to be temporarily safe during the stormy winter months that began that month.

A further EIA was conducted in June 2024, followed by the most recent one on whose basis the first phase of the wreck removal has now started.

In the intervening period, according to the vessel owner’s insurance company, P&I representative, Mr Nick Sloane, to ensure safety of life and the nearby environment, a services provider procured by the vessel owner’s insurers remained posted to monitor the vessel remains’ condition.

The monitoring company also collected debris found in the area, and most of which, Mr Sloane said, did not emerge from the bare and broken structure of the FV Elke M. The vigilance would continue through to February 2025 by which period much of what remains of the wreck will possibly have been completely removed.

On Thursday, in the presence of SAMSA Southern Region Principal Officer, Mr Thandimfundo Mehlo, the wreck removal team utilised a helicopter to lift and dispose of loose steel parts of the wreck that were ripped off its skeletal structure by the pounding of sea waves during the winter months.

This blog chatted briefly with Mr Sloane to establish how far the work has gone, the challenges encountered as well as his impression on the state of readiness of South Africa’s maritime community for incidents of this nature. For his views, Click on the video below.

End.

Subsistence fishers boosted with safety gear in Eastern and Western Cape regions: SAMSA

Stilbaai: 31 October 2024

The plight of South Africa’s subsistence fishing communities is increasingly receiving due attention from government and its agencies, but particularly with both the allocation of more fish species rights, as well as support in terms of enhancing fishing safety, according to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE).

This emerged this week at a function by the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) to present sets of personal protective and fishing safety gear to members of a rural subsistence cooperative, the Stillcob Joint Primary Corporative in Stilbaai, Western Cape province, on Tuesday.

_{SAMSA Head of Corporate Social Investment, Ms Mapitso Dlepu}

The donation handover was the second of its kind in terms of SAMSA’s Corporate Social Investment and Sustainability project for 2024 – the first having been made a month ago to a Centani, Eastern Cape based 60-member strong rural subsistence fishing cooperative. registered as the Eluthimba Small Scale Fisheries Cooporative.

According to SAMSA head of CSI, Ms Mapitso Dlepu, this year’s corporate social investment shift towards the country’s subsistence fishing community was to galvanise and consolidate state support for sustainable fishing and community development to alleviate poverty and empower subsistence fishing dependent communities.

The subsistence fishing cooperatives selected for support this year – both based in SAMSA’s Southern Region that straddles parts of both the Eastern and Western Cape provinces – she said; were provided with basic fishing safety gear following consultation and a needs identification that was conducted jointly with the DFFE fisheries development division.

Primarily, the donated equipment was intended to enable the fishermen to fish more efficiently while adhering to safety, she said. According to Ms Dlepu, SAMSA is committed to maintaining ongoing focus of its CSI activity on providing support that promotes and enhances safety of subsistence fisher communities countrywide. For her remarks, click on the video below.

SAMSA Mossel Bay area Principal Officer, Capt. Thembela Taboshe also weighed in, restating the significance of the SAMSA gesture from the entity’s operations perspective.

*_{DFFE Fisheries Development Officer, Garden Route, Ms Boitumelo Chakane-Nxusani}*

In Stilbaai on Tuesday, DFFE Fisheries Development Officer for the Garden Route area of the Western Cape province, Ms Boitumelo Chakane-Nxusani said the country currently has 172 registered subsistence fishing cooperatives, the marjority (92) of them in the Western Cape, and collectively accounting for over 10 000 members.

Significantly though, she said, was that in a decisive break with past practice, the variety of fishing species of allowable catch by subsistence fishers had been increased to include species caught for commercial purposes in addition to those for personal consumption.

Additionally, she said, the department was working diligently to ensure diversity in the subsector by encouraging and promoting the inclusion of both women and youth.

For her full remarks, click on the video below:

*_{Stillcob Joint Primary Cooperative Limited chairperson, Mr Ben Strydom.}*

In welcoming the fishing safety gear support by SAMSA, the chairperson of the Stillcob Joint Primary Cooperative Limited, Mr Ben Strydom described it as a ‘great relief’ after an eight year struggle to access resources to alleviate the plight of subsistence fishers.

Mr Strydom also indicated his pleasure at the expansion of species that are now going to be allowed for subsistence fishers, thereby allowing them to also contribute to social and economic development through increased production output and commercial markets access that would lead to creation of employment and wider of sharing of income. For his views, click on the video below.

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Search for seafarer fallen overboard a ship underway south of Cape Recife, Eastern Cape: SAMSA

_{The MV Serenity Diva one of whose crew members reportedly fell overboard on the Indian Ocean south east of Cape Recife in the Eastern Cape province. The search for the seafarer is currently underway, according to the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA). (Photo: Supplied)}

Pretoria: 19 August 2024

A search is currently underway for a seafarer who reportedly fell overboard a Liberian flagged cargo vessel, the MV Serenity Diva, 44 miles south of Cape Recife in the Eastern Cape on Monday, reports the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA).

In a brief statement, the Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC) located in the Cape Town based SAMSA Centre for Sea Watch & Response, said that the incident was raised by the vessel’s crew at about 3am (local time) through a distress call logged by Telkom Maritime.

“According to Telkom Maritime Radio, the vessel’s captain was not sure when the crewman went missing except that the crewman was last seen with blue overalls on. It was not clear if he also had a life-jacket on,” said the MRCC Cape Town.

In response, the MRCC identified two vessels, the MV Cedrice Oldendorff and MV Hoanh Son to assist in the search. A request to Telkom Maritime Radio was also made to broadcast a MayDay relay.

Further updates on the incident will released as and when available, said SAMSA.

End.

Malta-flagged cargo vessel loses 99 containers at sea off South Africa east coast: SAMSA

_{The Malta-flagged CMA CGM Belem cargo vessel at shelter in Algoa Bay, near Gqeberha, Eastern Cape province, South Africa on Sunday 18 Augusts 2024; after losing numerous containers at sea in the Indian Ocean on Thursday evening.}_{(Photo. SAMSA)}

Pretoria: 17 August 2024

Adverse weather conditions impacting South Africa this past week have led to yet another large container vessel losing as many as 99 containers off the east coast of South Africa, according to the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA).

In response, a navigational warning to sailing vessels has been issued and a public call made to report any sighting of the cargo containers possibly still floating at sea.

In a statement at the weekend SAMSA confirmed that: “The CMA CGM BELEM, a container ship sailing under the Maltese flag, encountered severe weather off the coast of Richards Bay last night (Thursday), resulting in a significant stow collapse and a loss of 99 containers.

“The vessel had initially sought refuge at Maputo Bay. However, after further assessment, the decision was made to redirect the ship to Qheberha. The CMA CGM BELEM is currently slow steaming towards Port of Ngqura, with an expected time of arrival on 18 August 2024,” said SAMSA

According to SAMSA, the vessel, built in 2024, measures 336 meters in length, 51 meters in height, and has a draft of 14.8 meters.

Notably, the CMA CGM BELEM is the second vessel of its kind and from the same France based company – Compagnie Maritime d’Affrètement (CMA) and Compagnie Générale Maritime – to be battered by adverse weather conditions while sailing around South Africa’s Indian Ocean area, and resulting in substantial loss of containers overboard at sea.

A month ago, the ultra large container vessel CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin, also Maltese flagged, reportedly lost up to 40 containers in about the same region of the South African Indian Ocean area, while also sailing past the country from Asia to Europe.

Due to its size, it also had to take cover at the deep water port of Ngqurha in Algoa Bay near Gqeberha, Eastern Cape both for shelter as well as an adjustment of its cargo load for the rest of the journey to Europe. A few days later, having been cleared by SAMSA to sail, it departed South Africa, while a search for its lost containers remained alive.

In Pretoria on Saturday, SAMSA said the CMA CGM Belem was also a sizeable vessel best likely to be temporarily, safely berthed at the Eastern Cape’s newest deep water port in Algoa Bay.

“Given her draft,” said SAMSA: ” Port of Ngqura has been identified as the only suitable port of refuge. Stowage collapses have been confirmed, and the affected containers will need to be discharged at a container port facility upon arrival.

Meanwhile, said SAMSA, the owners of the vessel were “cooperating with the Authorities and that a navigational warning has been promulgated for the safety of navigation of other vessels in the vicinity.”

SAMSA added: “Vessels traversing the ocean area, and the public, are requested to report any sightings of the lost containers to the relevant authorities by contacting the Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC) on telephone number 021 938 3300 with the position, number, and colour of the containers observed.”

End

Search underway for seafarer fallen overboard a container ship in Indian Ocean near Cape Recife, Eastern Cape: SAMSA

*_{The Denmark flagged container ship, M/V Santa Cruz, from which a seafarer reportedly fell overboard on the Indian Ocean along the Eastern Cape, South Africa, on Saturday, 02 March 2024.}*_{(Pic: Supplied)}

Pretoria: 03 March 2024

A sea search is underway in South African waters after a foreign seafarer reportedly disappeared from his vessel and believed to have fallen overboard on Saturday evening, while it was sailing on the Indian Ocean, along the Eastern Cape coastline; the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) announced on Sunday.

UPDATE ONE: Sunday, 03 March 2024 13h00 (LOCAL TIME)

No less than six (6) vessels have since joined the search of the seafarer on Sunday morning on the Indian Ocean along the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, while a warning has also been issued to other passing vessels to keep clear of the search area, reported SAMSA.

According to SAMSA on Sunday morning, the ‘man overboard’ (MOB) report by a Denmark flagged container ship, indicated that the incident occurred while the vessel was sailing at approximately 22 nautical miles east of Cape Recife, near Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape province.

“At 18h42 (local time) on Saturday, Telkom Maritime Radio informed the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) that M/V Santa Cruz reported that she had a man overboard.

“MRCC and Telkom Maritime Radio has since issued a call to vessels in the vicinity, the closest of which was a fishing vessel, FV Portunity, to assist with the search while more search and rescue resources are currently being mobilised, inclusive of the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI),” said SAMSA.

The search for the seafarer is still underway in an area on the Indian Ocean near Cape Recife, equivalent some seven (7) nautical miles, said SAMSA.

End.

Relaunched WOMESA South Africa Chapter has no more time to lose – commits new leadership.

Gqeberha: 05 June 2023

New leadership of the South Africa chapter of the Women in the Maritime in Eastern and Southern Africa (WOMESA) has committed to hitting the ground running to ensure that development of country’s women in the maritime sector do not only make up for lost time but also stay abreast of new trends globally.

This is according to Ms Phyllis Difeto, the new chairperson of the eight (8) member WOMESA South Africa Chapter leadership elected during the relaunch of the structure in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape on Wednesday, 31 May 2023 following a few years of inactivity.

Among those who attended the two day event in Nelson Mandela Bay to lend support to the resuscitation of the domestic WOMESA chapter were Minister of Transport, Ms Sindisiwe Chikunga along with representatives of various public and private maritime sector business institutions, the Eastern Cape government as well as the Nelson Mandela Bay local government.

In her address of the event on Tuesday, attended by about 150 women in the maritime sector from across the country, Ms Chikunga urged that the election of the new all-women WOMESA South Africa chapter leadership should be premised primarily on development priorities for women in maritime, rather than on personalities; mindful of both a groundswell of support it can bank on across the region, but also of pockets of re-emerging blatant resistance in South Africa to multiracialism, transformation, and equitable development of all the country’s people.

For Ms Chikunga’s full remarks, click on the video below

WOMESA, an eastern and southern African structure now with membership in 25 countries and chapters in 13 of these, was founded in 2007 initially involving five (5) countries, among them South Africa. However, the domestic chapter collapsed and remain inoperational for a number of years, in the process, undermining women in maritime developmental efforts, but especially in South Africa.

According to Ms Difeto in an exclusive interview, that situation will have to change, fast, through among other things; ensuring a functional, attentive and focussed structure living up to its constituency’s expectations and aspirations.

“We can no longer make excuses for our failures,” she said, while describing her election to lead the revived WOMESA chapter as both humbling, and reflective of faith and trust the country’s women in the maritime sector have in her.

For her full remarks, click on the video below.

The relaunch of the WOMESA South Africa chapter in Gqeberha also had the blessing of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) which, in a brief message, committed itself to render such support as may be needed from time to time.

For IMO Africa representative, Mr William Azuh’s message – delivered on his behalf by Ms Nokuzola Nkowane, Acting CEO of Ports Regular South Africa – click on the video below.

Various other organisations including WOMESA’s executive based in Mombasa, Kenya; the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA), the Eastern Cape government, Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), South African International Maritime Institute (SAIMI), AMSOL, Heron-Marine, and WISTA also expressed their support of the initiative.

Below are some of their statements as delivered by assigned representatives.

_{Mr Ndzimeni Ramugondo. Acting CEO. SAMSA}

_{Mr Rufus Lekala. Chief Harbour Master. TNPA}

_{Mr Odwa Mtati. CEO, SAIMI}

_{Ms Mpumi Dweba-Kwetana. Harbour Master. TNPA Durban}

_{Ms Nokuzola Nkowane. Acting CEO. Ports Regular South Africa and newly elected deputy chairperson of WOMESA South Africa Chapter}.

This blog further sat down with SAMSA Chief Information Officer (CIO) Mr Ndzimeni Ramugondo and whose six (6) months term as the entity’s Acting CEO ended on Wednesday last week, to establish the significance and importance of the rescucitation of the WOMESA South Africa Chapter from the Transport Department agency’s perspective.

End

South Africa’s budding maritime business chamber formation a vital intervention; industry sector players

Pretoria: 21 July 2022

Current ongoing efforts towards broadening involvement and engagement of business of all sizes in South Africa’s maritime economic sector through a representative national business chamber have received a nod from a number of keyrole players in the sector, among them diverse national institutions as well as industry sector principals.

This emerged this past week during a three (3) days strategy planning session of the budding Maritime Business Chamber (MBC) previously the Eastern Maritime Business Chamber – held at the St Francis Bay Conference Centre in the Eastern Cape province and attended or actively addressed in person or virtually by representatives of several national institutions and businesses across the private and public sectors, including financial institutions.

From the public sector, these included the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA), the South African International Maritime Institute (SAIMI), Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board Maritime Centre of Excellence, and the Nelson Mandela Metropolitican Municipality (NMBM).

Financial institutions included the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and Absa Bank while private sector institutions included FishSA as well as individual company representatives, among them CEO of Algoa Bay based bunkering services firm, Heron Marine SA, Ms Kgomotso Selokane; and Commander Tsietsi Mokhele, group executive of Johannesburg based maritime sector consulting firm, Elekhom Global.

_{Some of the institutional and business representatives physically present during the Maritime Business Chamber three days strategy workshop in St Francis Bay, Eastern Cape on Monday to Wednesday, 11-13 July 2022. Top Left: Mr Vusi September, SAMSA Head of Corporate Affairs. Top Centre Ms Kgomotso Selokane, CEO of Heron Marine SA. Top Right : Mr Khaya Mti of Absa Bank and Bottom right: Mr Xola Mkhontwana of Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) and Bottom Left: Mr Vincent Zulu of KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board Maritime Centre of Excellence}. *_{Three others at DBSA, FishSA and Elekhom participated virtually online}*

The event hosts, the MBC are an upsized version of a small business chamber that started off in Gqeberha (a.k.a Port Elizabeth) in Algoa Bay in 2019 as a small, micro and medium entreprises (SMME) organisation with express interest in involvement and engagement for business and other economic opportunities identification and exploration in the region’s maritime economic sector.

*_{Maritime Business Chamber chairperson, Mr Unathi Sonti}*

According to MBC chairperson, Mr Unathi Sonti last Tuesday in St Francis Bay, through ongoing intense and expansive interaction with various stakeholders in South Africa’s maritime sector mostly across the four coastal provinces (KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Western Cape and Northern Cape), a “clear gap” was identified for an institution of the nature operating at national level, in order to advance the interests of those people and businesses with direct interest but without any formal representation in the sector.

According to Mr Sonti, such business chamber with precise focus on the maritime sector was also vital in terms of the national interest of the country.

The feedback over the past two years culminated in last week’s three days’ strategy session workshop as a formal step towards formal expansion of the maritime business chamber countrywide, he explained. For his full views on the subject, click on the video below.

_{Mr Unathi Sonti, chairperson of Maritime Business Chamber chatting about the development of a national business chamber for the maritime sector in South Africa}

Meanwhile, all the companies and institutions represented at the event at St Francis Bay on Monday to Wednesday last week, expressed a common agreement in terms of their full support of both the idea of a business maritime chamber, as well as the expanse of its reach, domestically and abroad.

In the next three videos below, this blog chatted to at least two of the representatives of five key public sector maritime focused institutions present; SAMSA’s Head for Corporate Affairs and Acting Chief Operations Officer, Mr Vusi September; and SAIMI’s Mr Malwande Nkalitshana.

_{Mr Vusi September, SAMSA Head for Corporate Affairs and acting Chief Operations Officer; sharing the agency viewpoint on its support for the formation of a national maritime business chamber.}

_{Mr Malwande Nkalitshana of the South African Internaitonal Maritime Institute (SAIMI) also weighing on why a national maritime business chamber matters.}

From a private sector business perspective, Ms Selokane, CEO of Heron Marine SA also shared her views.

_{Ms Kgomotso Selokane. CEO of bunkering services firm Heron Marine SA and patron of the Maritime Business Chamber also sharing her own perspective of the importance of such a structure within context of South Africa’s broad economy and people’s interests}

End

South Africa records six commercial fishermen deaths in 2021 – six too many, according to SAMSA

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is sam_1341.jpg — _{(SAMSA File Photo)}

Pretoria: 20 January 2022

South Africa’s commercial fishing subsector suffered six (6) fatalities in 2021, a figure reflecting an increase of two more deaths compared with four (4) recorded in 2020, according to a report by the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA).

In the report, (Marine Information Notice [MN 01-22]) released on Wednesday, SAMSA says the deaths of the six (6) fishermen occurred in four different incidents recorded in Paternoster (1), Dassen Island (2), Strandfontein (2) and Struisbaai (1), all in the Western Cape province.

In Paternoster, a fisherman lost his life when a small commercial fishing vessel capsized after hitting a submerged rock. A second crew member survived the incident. In another incident, two fishermen lost their lives after a small commercial fishing vessel hit a submerged object, some two nautical miles West of Dassen Island. The first fisherman was lost overboard while the second crew member suffered a fatal heart attack during the incident.

In another case, two fishermen lost their lives after a small commercial fishing vessel washed ashore near Strandfontein. In the incident, one fisherman was found drowned and one other remained missing at sea. Another case involved the drowning of a fisherman after the vessel he was in, near Struisbaai, was swamped and sank.

“The South African Maritime Safety Authority notes the continuous occurrence of fatal incidents involving small commercial fishing vessels, either due to capsizing or exposure to inclement weather. Affected areas and communities will be engaged as a matter of urgency,”said the agency in a statement.

A data table of fatalities of commercial fishermen in South Africa since 1996 showed the Western Cape province region – whose maritime domain straddles three oceans, from the Atlantic Ocean, the Southern Ocean to the Indian Ocean, thereby constituting the country’s fishing mecca – has consistently suffered most fatalities (57% or 225) of the 397 recorded in the period. (1996-2021).

_{A SAMSA data table on South Africa’s commercial fishing vessels fatalities for the period 1996-2021 as contained in the SAMSA Marine Information Notice 1 of 2022 released in Pretoria on Wednesday (19 January 2022)}

In fact, the table indicates that all fatalities recorded in the four years since 2018, totalling 17, involved small commercial vessels. By comparison, the second highest fatalities of commercial fishermen recorded in the period 1996-2021, totalling 137 occurred in the Eastern Cape province, with KwaZulu-Natal accounting for just 19 of the fatalities. The remainder, totalling 17 fatalities, is recorded as having occurred on the high seas, of which the first and last was recorded in 1998.

In a further breakdown, the SAMSA’s report indicates that the highest and consistent number of both vessels incidents at seas as well as resultant fatalities in the period between 2002 and 2021 involved small commercial vessels not exceeding 10 meters in length, with the exception of year 2008 when all fatalities recorded involved a vessel or vessels measuring 10-24m in length.

In terms of types of incidents leading to fatalities, SAMSA listed these as mainly involving vessels capsizing – which seemed to affect mostly vessels measuring less than 10m – fishermen falling overboard, collisions/grounding, and vessels foundered.

“The capsizing of small vessels is primarily due to four reasons: vessels at sea in unsuitable weather conditions, hauling of anchors over the side and not the bow, vessels too close to the shore, and overloading,” said SAMSA, adding that the proper counter-measure was for flotation aids to be worn at all times within the surf zone in order to reduce the number of fatalities.

According to SAMSA, the falling overboard incident category was the second largest contributor to commercial fishermen deaths, with fishermen suffering fatal accidents (getting lost at sea) while shooting or hauling fishing gear; at night when the vessel is steaming or during inclement weather.

These could be prevented, however, if all fishing vessels crews heeded necessary precautionary measures onboard vessels that include:

flotation aids being worn at all times on deck where the nature of the work can lead to a crew member being knocked overboard,
crew members that go on deck while there is no fishing operation never doing so alone, especially at night; and
always wearing vessel safety harnesses when working near or at the side of the vessel
skippers and officers always taking into consideration the dangers of fatigue due to prolonged fishing operations and skippers and,
crew having safety briefings.

As for groundings, according to SAMSA none should occur at all if if the watchkeeping officers and crew adhere to the principles of good seamanship and watchkeeping. The same was true of founderings. “It is vital that skippers continually monitor all methods of receiving weather reports and consider if the fishing trip is safe in the predicted weather conditions. Early consideration should be given to seeking shelter when the predicted weather may endanger the vessel,”said SAMSA.

SAMSA said in addition to reaching out to commercial fishing communities affected by fatalities in 2021, a matter of priority this year, as a matter of standard practice: “SAMSA offers trauma counselling, assistance with securing UIF, COID and insurance and the facilitation of social grants through the Welfare Office (contactable either by phone: 021 421 6170 or via email addressed to Ms Nolundi Dubase ndubase@samsa.org.za).

“In addition, community and workplace seminars are offered, at no cost to the industry, on HIV/AIDS awareness and alcohol/substance abuse. Fishing operators are urged to review their Drug and Alcohol Policies and Procedures,” said SAMSA.

End

Amid a raging Covid-19 pandemic, SAMSA and Absa Bank collaborate to bring relief to poverty stricken subsistence fishermen.

Pretoria: 31 December 2020

Year 2020 will undoubtedly go down in history as having been the hardest year for most people, due largely to the spate and still ongoing ravages of the coronavirus SARS-2 (Covid-190) pandemic currently gripping the world since its outbreak in Wuhan, China in December 2019.

The hardship for communities already steeped in poverty compounded by among other things, low rates of education and high rates of unemployment, has become more pronounced by the introduction of national lockdowns by Governments, in an attempt to slow down the spread of the Covid-19 infections.

In South Africa, among such communities are those of rural coastal regions made up of the country’s four provinces bordering its 3 200 kilometre coastline, from the Atlantic Ocean in the west through to the Indian Ocean in the east, and who irk support for their daily living through subsistence fishing.

Touched by the plight of specifically these rural coastal communities, and in a positive response to a Government call for support, in September 2020, the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) in collaboration with commercial bank, Absa and with assistance by the Moses Kotane Institute, launched a corporate social investment project intended to extend support to these communities in three of the coastal provinces: KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and Northern Cape.

Its aim, according to SAMSA, would be to bring about relief in two practical ways; firstly a once-off supply of food parcels to households in the three provinces, as well as training in basic maritime skills (mainly fishing related) as well as basic business management and entrepreunerial skills for subsistence fishermen including unemployed youths. Focus of the latter would primarily be on communities in KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape, with Northern Cape scheduled for the near future.

“This intervention was conceptualised to cover identified small-scale fishing communities in the Eastern Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal, with a plan to expand the project to other provinces beyond COVID-19. The project will focus on 47 cooperatives in Port St. Johns and Coffee Bay in the Eastern Cape, as well as 48 community cooperatives in Kwa-Zulu Natal.

*Rural fishermen on the banks of the Orange River pictured earlier in December 2020*

“Through the training intervention, SAMSA commits to ensuring safety awareness at sea and capacitating the coastal fishing community / fishermen through sustainable interventions that will assist them in their career and business endeavours,” said SAMSA in a statement.

On precisely the choice of these particular communities in the specific areas, SAMSA explained: “South Africa has a long history of coastal communities utilising marine resources for various purposes. Many of these communities and fishers have been marginalised through apartheid practices and previous fisheries management systems. In 2007, the government was compelled through an equality court ruling to redress the inequalities suffered by these traditional fishers. The Eastern Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal are some of the previously marginalised provinces, hence their choice as the first two provinces to be targeted by this intervention.”

Jointly funded by SAMSA and Absa to the tune of R3-million, the roll-out of the programme kicked off on the second last week of October – with food distribution occurring parallel the start of the fishermen’s skills development.

Some of the rural coastal subsistence fishing communities who were beneficiaries of food parcels provided as a relief package through the SAMSA CSI/Absa Covid-19 Relief Project launched in September 2020

Food parcel distribution for 595 people first took place in the Eastern Cape region comprising the Alfred Nzo and King Dalindyebo Municipalities (Mbizana & Coffee Bay), following to which was Ray Nkonyeni Municipality in southern KwaZulu-Natal (500 people) and thereafter, communities in the Dawid Kruiper Municipality on the banks of the Orange River, in Upington, Northern Cape.

Some of the rural coastal subsistence fishermen in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape undergoing basic maritime (fishing related) and business mananagement and entrepreunership training from October to December 2020

In the videos below, we reflect on this food distribution project in Northern Cape, where the event was also attended and addressed by SAMSA’s acting CEO, Mr Sobantu Tilayi, accompanied by SAMSA’s head of Corporate Affairs and Government Relations, Mr Vusi September.

End

Organisations hard at work picking nurdles off the Cape Coast while investigation of source continues: SAMSA

*Sudden surfacing of nurdles along the southern Cape coastline still under investigation according to the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) (SAMSA Photo File)*

Pretoria: 17 November 2020

An investigation into how millions of nurdles came to envelope the Cape coast, from south of Port Elizabeth through George and nearby towns is currently still underway, while an effort is made to clean the coastline of the small plastic pellets.

This is according to the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) in a statement in Pretoria on Tuesday. This was a further reaction to reports last month of the discovery of nurdles across the southern Cape coastline – from Fish Hoek in False Bay to Plettenberg Bay and lately, along the Eastern Cape coastline.

(Video courtersy of African News Agency [ANA])

According to SAMSA on Tuesday, the source of the nurdles is still unknown but the agency confirmed that this latest incident is not related to the spillage that occured in KwaZulu-Natal in 2017.

“Authorities are working hard to address the nurdles recently washing up along certain regions of the south Western Cape coastline from Fish Hoek in False Bay to Goukamma Marine Protected Area and Plettenberg Bay.

“The nurdles are also reported to be washing up along the Eastern Cape coastline, the exact locations are still to be confirmed.

“The authorities, including, the Departments of Transport, Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, local authorities, NGOs and volunteer groups have all been working consistently to clean up nurdles washing up on beaches,” said SAMSA

The organisation described nurdles as “… small plastic pellets used in the manufacture of plastic products. In the raw stage (pre-moulded and packaged) they are not toxic to touch, but probably shouldn’t be chewed given the unknown synthetics that make up the pellets.

“However, once released into the marine environment they have a high attraction to harmful substances such as land-based pesticides, herbicides, other organic pollutants as well as heavy metals that end up in the ocean. At this stage they are very harmful to life, especially to wildlife when mistaken for food.”

SAMSA said: “The source of the nurdles is not yet confirmed but an investigation is currently ongoing and being led by the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA). These nurdles are not related to the spillage that took place in Kwazulu-Natal in 2017.

“While the investigation into the source of the nurdles is being undertaken, SpillTech has been appointed to assist and conduct clean-up efforts along the affected sections of coastline. Spilltech will also be storing the nurdles collected through clean-up efforts and are working with authorities, NGOs and volunteer groups to identify collection points and arrange the pick-up of nurdles.

“The extent of the clean-up operation is significant and is anticipated that the removal of nurdles from the affected coastline will continue for some time to come. The authorities and NGOs look forward to working with SpillTech as the lead agent for the duration of cleanup-operations.

“Spilltech can be contacted on 063 404 2128 for information on collection points and pick up of collected nurdles,” said SAMSA

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