Our ocean, communities and our sociocultural wellbeing are not for sale.
This statement formed part of the declarations made by FishNet Alliance, a network of fishers across the coast of Africa, at the close of its General Assembly and Conference held on Thursday, August 22, 2024, in Durban, South Africa.
Themed: “Ocean, Extractivism and Renewable Energy”, the gathering was attended by members of the Alliance from South Africa, Senegal, Togo, Nigeria, Mozambique, including new members from Uganda, South Sudan and Cameroon as well as Oilwatch Africa and Oilwatch International members and allies from 20 countries.
Standing in solidarity with its members and other fishers’ communities in the struggle, FishNet Alliance also demanded in a communiqué endorsed by 19 member organisations that artisanal fishers must be recognised, consulted, supported and protected, and must be adequately represented in ocean and maritime policy discourse.
“We denounce and reject any form of grabbing of our waters for the production of so-called green hydrogen,” submitted the fishers, adding that all deltas and protected areas in Africa must be declared no-mining and no-exploitation zones.
The General Assembly and Conference had earlier observed that:
- The rights of artisanal fishers continue to be violated by extractive projects, and that these rights violations are fuelled by the extractivism and colonialism practices.
- The offshore extraction activities, oil and gas infrastructure installations are dangerous and destructive of the livelihoods of coastal communities. The systemic and subtle extension of the extractivists’ colonial roots through the introduction of concepts like the Blue Economy are going to worsen the situation of fisher folks who are already paying the price for grabbing of our resources. Our sea and other water bodies are also under constant attack, and we note the new dynamics brought by the push for renewable offshore energy.
- Industrial fishers are laxly regulated and act with impunity. Instead, artisanal fishers are intimidated and repressed by both the state and these commercial fish merchants. The industrial fishers are responsible for overcapacity, illegal, reported and unregulated fishing and not the artisanal fishers who fish with poles, hooks and specific net sizes.
- Coastal and fishing communities are being washed away as a result of coastal erosion and sea encroachment engendered by the climate change. These fisher folks’ communities are fast turning into refugees in their own countries as their territories are being washed away.
- The emerging issue of green hydrogen extends the same colonial logic of extractivism to satisfy the insatiable hunger of capitalism and only minimize the drive for a true people just transition.
- The mangrove forests play a big role in preserving our fisheries and building our local economies.
