Sahra Luyt

Sahra Luyt is empowering fisherwomen to become central players in South Africa's largely white, male-dominated fishing industry.

Sahra, a fisherwoman, has launched an initiative that is allowing women from previously disadvantaged poor communities access into the largely white, male-dominated South African fishing industry. She has created an association–the South African Fisherwomen Association (SAFWA) that is employing a complementary series of strategies that include collective marketing of fish and fish products; lobbying the government to create a more enabling environment for small-scale fishers; forming contractual relationships with boat owners who provide practical training on all aspects of fishing to the association's members; development of ancillary industries to supplement income during the off-season; inculcation of an environmental ethic among members; and conducting sea-safety training courses and life-skills modules that empower the women beyond the fishing industry.
Sahra recognized that in poor coastal communities, women are often at the mercy of their male partners who in some cases, through the fortunate beneficiaries of government efforts to transform the industry, squandered earnings to the detriment of their families. Furthermore, she noticed that though the Department of Marine and Coastal Management was inviting women into the industry, no real efforts were being made to contribute to the success of these women. She asserts that "simply stating that fishermen must train the women is unacceptable as they are discouraged from becoming skippers or being totally involved in all aspects of the fishing industry." More of an effort to integrate women into the industry is required for them to truly benefit economically and socially.

The South African fishing industry faces serious challenges, notably, providing access for previously disadvantaged communities, especially women, and ensuring sustainable harvesting of available stock.
Under the apartheid regime, black communities were marginalized from commercial fishing as a matter of state policy. Any fishing within these communities was on a purely subsistence basis. The industry, therefore, became dominated by large-scale, white-owned businesses. To compound the problem, despite efforts to encourage sustainable fishing after the dramatic collapse of sardine stocks in Namibia–when catch plummeted from 1.4 million tons in 1968 to 4,000 tons in 1977–existing and new legislation were rarely enforced, and corruption and nepotism were the order of the day.After political emancipation in 1994, the new government developed strategies to prevent overfishing and access to the industry by previously disadvantaged communities. There was particular emphasis on cultivating the development of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) by allocating a larger proportion of quotas to be sold to small-scale operators, establishing contracts for cooperatives, and helping SMEs to improve efficiency. In addition, the government encouraged existing large-scale commercial operators to expand senior management and shareholding into previously disadvantaged communities. This new idealism was captured best by a statement made by then Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Mr. Pallo Jordan, on presentation of the new Marine Living Resources Act in 1998: "All natural and marine living resources of South Africa, as well as the environment in which they exist, are a national heritage of all South Africa's peoples, which should be managed and developed for the benefit of present and future generations."
Despite these concerted efforts, issues of access and overfishing still remain significant challenges. Regarding excessive fishing, the practice still continues unabated as large-scale local and international fishing companies exploit every available legislative loophole and often flagrantly break the law. With regard to access to the market, the reality is not much better. A 2000 analysis by the Southern Africa Environmental Project revealed that the problems of nepotism, corruption, and mismanagement in government and overfishing facing the industry during apartheid are still present. An updated study conducted between 2000-2002 by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism shows that white management and ownership predominates in over 70 percent of the classified fishing subindustries. In addition, ownership and management in black communities are overwhelmingly male dominated. Sahra notes that in poor communities, women are shamefully underrepresented in this critical industry.

Sahra's first strategy is informed by the reality that most of the knowledge on fishing lies with men who have long dominated the industry and the simple fact that ownership of requisite equipment is prohibitively expensive in poor communities. She therefore realized that she would have to form contractual relationships with male boat owners who provide practical training on all aspects of fishing to cater to the large number of women interested in learning the trade. In practice, the relationship is a win-win relationship for both boat owner and women trainees since women avoid purchase and maintenance costs and boatowners have guaranteed additional labor.
Second, since women (and even most seagoing men) are not familiar with water safety, it is a requirement for all such members to receive training before venturing to sea. In conjunction with a community-based organization, the Siyaya Resource Center, she developed a training module on basic survival, first aid, and boat handling. The program has fared well and grown in popularity by word of mouth since no such formalized program existed specifically for fishing communities.
Third, because of the cutthroat nature of the fishing industry where profit margins are extremely thin–a major reason small-scale fishing companies sell off their quotas to larger companies, she has developed a collective bargaining-marketing strategy by which the women pool their catch and sell it to processing and export associations. In addition, to supplement income in times of small catches and during off seasons, and given the limited pool of quota allocations for conservationist reasons, Sahra works with the women to develop other income-generating strategies. These include the production and sale of artisan items, repair of fishnets, and the creation of restaurants featuring "traditional cuisines" for the tourist market.
Fourth, in recognition of the significant barriers to entry despite recent national government efforts to expand access into the fishing industry for previously disadvantaged communities, Sahra is lobbying for a more enabling environment. One of the challenges that the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism acknowledges is the process, size, and duration of fishing rights allocation. For instance, allocation of fishing rights on an annual basis prevented upcoming fisher folk from accessing proper financing since banking institutions were leery of recovering their loans in such a short period given the unpredictable nature of the industry. The department has since revised the policy and allocates fishing rights over a three-year period. Sahra continues to advocate for change and is making significant legal impact within the fishing industry. Following her recent lobbying efforts, the Ministry of Transport enacted legislation making it mandatory for all seagoing fisher folk to undergo a safety course before venturing to sea.
A fifth strategy involves the inculcation of environmental ethics among all members. The goal of sustainable harvesting is woven through every aspect of the initiative. In an effort to minimize adverse impacts on marine life, there is a strong emphasis on encouraging members to buy shares in existing boats rather than to purchase new ones that would add to the pollution. Furthermore, the SAFWA has a strict policy of fining or expelling members for poaching.
Because many members of the SAFWA reside in poverty-ridden environments afflicted with a variety of social ills like drug and alcohol abuse, there is a conscious effort to ensure that the new revenue generated is not misused. As Sahra notes, "We are an association for women by women, [and therefore] empowering will go beyond the fishing industry." Some of the training offered in partnership with other service providers includes HIV/AIDS awareness, substance abuse, and gender equity.
Since Sahra formed the SAFWA in 2000, it has recorded many successes. Membership has grown to over 500. She realizes that the organization needs to expand the product line as demand shifts and to adhere to conservation regimens. There is a need to shift the operational line away from simply catching the fish toward value-adding schemes like processing. Also expansion geographically is necessary to meet demands outside of the Western Cape Province. She will nevertheless focus first on consolidating in this province.

Sahra was born and raised in a fishing community. She fondly recalls going on fishing trips with her grandfather at the age of 9. These excursions engendered a deep love for the sea and the conviction that she and all women had the ability to perform what were considered male-only tasks.
As an adult, she fished recreationally with her husband for six years before joining a fishing company. And there, even though formally employed, she experienced the many barriers for women within the industry. The gender discrimination she faced, coupled with the repeated observations of fishermen squandering their hard-earned incomes on substance abuse and other reckless behavior at the expense of their families, propelled her to create an initiative that would empower women and gain access to the fishing industry. Sahra looks forward to the day when the fishing trade will be accorded the same respect as any other profession.