December 8, 2011
Produced by Hazel Friedman and cameraman Trevor PistoriusSouth Africa’s commercial fishing industry contributes over R2 billion annually to the country’s economy and employs tens of thousands of people. But beneath the lucrative surface lurks a tale of exploitation and abuse.Work at sea is one of the most hazardous jobs in the world and fishing is the most dangerous of the sector. Fishermen are exploited worse than farm labourers and do not enjoy worker status under our labour laws. Consequently, they are subjected to low wages, dismal working conditions as well as abuse. They are also often vulnerable to fraud and corruption through black empowerment fronts, engineered to gain a disproportionate percentage of fish quota allocations.With the passing of legislation such as the Living Marine Resources Act in 1998, the sector was supposed to be transformed. But as this Special Assignment investigation reveals, fishermen remain marginalized by corrupt companies greedy for a bigger stake in our limited marine resources, ineffectual trade unions and the under-resourced and historically mismanaged Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. When it comes to accountability, it seems that they are all getting off the hook.
SABC3 – 9pm, every Thursday
For more information:
Special Assignment office: (011) 714-6757/8
Acting: Executive Producer: Busisiwe Ntuli – 083 346 7291
Co-ordinator: Menatalie Van Rooyen – 083 241 7670
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