Auntie Solene Smith, a fisherwoman from Langebaan who supplies Abalobi (a community-based organisation that connects fishers with consumers, including restaurants) with ocean produce, confidently says that fishing and the sea have both changed – “some fishes have disappeared, and some that had disappeared have re-emerged”.

Plenty of fish in the sea?

Solene also believes that the temperature of the water has changed; fish are no longer firm because our seas are warmer. She is vociferously against oil and gas exploration and believes that Langebaan is also no longer the town it used to be as a result of development, and maintains that her community will continue to fight for their right to make a living through fishing. She and her fellow fishers have endemic knowledge – they know the sea and when it is a good time to fish by tracking the stages of the moon, and care for the ocean’s resources so that they aren’t depleted. If they see somebody doing something detrimental to the sea, they will address it. They understand that the sea is their livelihood and take care not to pollute it.

Sea changes

Solene was the first of a family of seven children and was born on a farm 65 years ago. Her father earned very little money so she had to start doing odd jobs like collecting eggs and cleaning, earning R1 per month at the time. After leaving school early, she earned R8 a month working at the air force base in Langebaanweg. Her first exposure to the sea was when they accompanied the family on whose farm they lived during a December vacation. Initially she was wary of the sea but grew to like it more as she grew older and saw people going out in their boats and coming back with fish. Later on, Solene’s grandmother also lived in Langebaan, and they visited her often.

There she met a young man who became her boyfriend and eventually her husband. Her husband’s father was a fisherman who made a good living, returning from the sea every day with a boat full of fish. “That was my best time, seeing how much fish they brought back”, she says. When her husband’s entire family passed away on the lagoon, she had to step in to keep the fishing business going. She went out to fish and joined meetings. Today, almost 24 years later, she is fully involved in fishing and the fishing community.

Community spirit

As an involved community member and activist, no day is the same. She lives day by day, attending workshops or ward meetings, and makes time to look after her grandchildren. She no longer goes out on the boats but drafts the lists of boats that do – they report back to her about how much fish they catch. She takes great pleasure in seeing the boats come back full of fish.

She has seen the positive impact Abalobi has had on the community, creating jobs and helping the community to be successful in its endeavours, such as the production of bottled products. Abalobi has opened up opportunities to explore and has been instrumental in their success.

Solene says that women are still under-represented in fishing, perhaps because they still believe that fishing is a man’s work. Currently only four women in their community have permits to fish. Solene is a committed advocate for women’s rights and won’t hesitate to address inequality.

She teaches women that they can do anything men can do if they believe in themselves. She is involved in several projects to mobilise women and encourages them to be actively involved in projects that will benefit them.

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