fishers tales: stories with the sea
NOMPILO MTHETHWA, A FAMILY THAT FISHES TOGETHER STAYS TOGETHER, 2021, PHOTOGRAPH, SOUTH AFRICA
Subsistence and small-scale fishers in KwaZulu-Natal practice a livelihood that holds deep spiritual and cultural meaning. In this coastal province of South Africa fishers make up a dynamic and diverse group that has vast intergenerational knowledge of the ocean, yet their voices are seldom heard in the rush for the Blue Economy. Hub researchers in South Africa, in partnership with the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance have developed a website titled The Fishers Tales which showcases some of the everyday and extraordinary stories of these fisher men and women; from their earliest memories of learning to fish, how this gives their life meaning, enables them to put their children through school, and the political struggles they face.
“Each story is paired with a unique artwork inspired by these tales with the sea. We invite you to explore and share these beautiful tales”, Hub researcher Kira Erwin says.
Fishers Tales was supported by the Hub’s DEEP Fund – a programme of work dedicated to advocating and advancing community-based arts research. Hub researcher and DEEP Fund manager Lisa McDonald notes,
‘We are very excited by the progress of our DEEP Fund projects and look forward to sharing further artistic outputs and related research.’
Visit the website Fishers Tales here.