Coastal Livelihoods Foundation NPC
Creating a
Sustainable Network Of Enterprising Communities (SNOEC)
Coastal Livelihoods Foundation NPC
Established in 2015
The Objective
Our objective is to equip every small-scale fishing village with a safety system that saves lives and to create a sustainable network of enterprising communities. We will succeed in our objective because the safety system is the key uniting factor which unites the community and the foundation in a shared goal and a shared vision. We are bound together in our efforts to reduce the loss of life of our artisanal fishers and to create a space in which the fishing communities can thrive.
The shared goal of preserving life provides a platform for positive change in which the community have a common cause to stand for and the opportunity to take responsibility for their own destiny instead of relying on the government or any other party. We are in the fortunate position to be a part of this amazing journey and to be actively involved in the communities. We have witnessed this change in Port Nolloth and we have experienced this change in Hondeklip Bay.
There are no real words to describe this amazing transformation of lasting positive change that happens in a community when technology empower the fishers and they take responsibility for their own safety. You have to experience it. You can also be a part of this journey by partnering with us. If you have special skills that you would like to share, please contact us. Your donations enable and empower us to continue this journey.
The Result of our work
A community owned Safety at Sea system that works and address the following aspects:
Effects of Climate Change
Preserving lives and livelihoods
Addressing past concerns
Introducing the importance of data collection
Creating community cohesiveness
Providing autonomy and dignity
An introduction:
The Community owned Safety at Sea System
- Climate Change
Stressing fishers livelihoods & costing lives
Fishers are highly vulnerable to unpredictable weather and an increase in severe storms linked to climate change or other weather conditions such as the sudden onset of thick fog. Volatile environmental conditions severely hamper fishing activities and has a real negative effect on safety at sea.
2. Fishing as a Livelihood
Either by fishing a basket of species or specific ones, fishers work very hard to make ends meet. The income is quite variable as fishing is dictated by weather conditions and often fishers remain price takers in the market, barely making ends meet.
3. History of the Safety at Sea System
Fishers successfully lobbied support from their local municipalities and , partnering with other organisations, a radio-based emergency response system was installed. The system uses vessel monitoring devices (vmsTRACK) called 'locators' to track the position of fishers in near real-time via VHF from a base station with a dedicated community-based safety system operator.
4. Safety at Sea System in Action
Increasing fishing days & saving lives
With a trustworthy safety system in place, fishers are able to proactively react to potential emergencies swiftly. They are able to plan and coordinate search and rescue missions for missing fishers in foggy conditions and are guided safely back into the harbour by the safety system operator. As a result of the latter, fishers have been able to continue with their livelihood of fishing with increased safety at sea.
5. The value of Data & Team-work
When fishers keep a log of their catches and expenses, it creates a ledger reflecting the value of fishing efforts. Individually this may seem small, but collectively they can begin to plan for the future with a larger pool of resources at their disposal and a clear business plan based on data.
6. Strength in Numbers
Fishers collectively sharing the cost of the Safety at Sea System
Collectively sharing the cost means each fisher would only need to contribute a small percentage of their fishing revenue to keep the safety at sea system going.
7. The cost of running the Safety at Sea System
The safety at sea system has two key cost areas to its upkeep - operational and maintenance. Operational is the daily activities that make the system work for fishers eg. administrator salary, electricity, and internet while maintenance keeps the system in working order by acquiring parts and system updates as needed. Both of these are vital to a safety at sea system that can keep fishermen safe.
8. The maintenance Committee
The maintenance committee consists of a team of people elected by the fishers from each fishing community using the safety at sea system who are responsible for keeping the safety at sea system fully operational through the contributions of fishers.
