News and Blogs
Celebrating the sacredness of the ocean through an online exhibition open to all
The exhibition ‘Our Ocean is Sacred, You Can’t Mine Heaven’ – a radical “an-archive” on intangible ocean heritage and a multi-genre exhibition raising consciousness and celebrating the sacredness of the ocean – is now open for all to explore online. The exhibition premiered as part of the South African National Arts Festival and was also […]
NEW SHORT FILM: ‘Hurinin, the people of the sea’ – a poignant story on the Topnaar people’s search for human rights and recognition
The short film ‘Hurinin, People of the Sea’ tells how the marginalised Topnaar people in Namibia seek recognition for their ocean-related heritage, knowledge and rights. During the colonial rule, the Topnaar sub-clan known as the Hurinin (‘the sea-people’) were forced out of the coastal areas, disrupting their centuries-old reliance on ocean resources. In contemporary Namibia, the Topnaar continue […]
Becoming official partners of the SSF Hub
In November 2023, the Hub became an official partner of the Small-Scale Fisheries Resource & Collaboration Hub (“SSF Hub”), which is a platform, community and a set of supporting initiatives fosters learning, information sharing and capacity enhancement to the benefit of the community, and accelerates the implementation of the SSF Guidelines (the Voluntary Guidelines for […]
New Network of Deep-water Researchers aims to build Africa’s capacity for deep-water research
We have launched a new partnership to respond to the disparity in deep-sea research capabilities between the Global North and South. Established in 2023 under the UN Decade of Ocean Science-endorsed Challenger 150 Programme and led by Hub early-career researcher Dr Kirsty McQuaid, the African Network of Deep-water Researchers aims to connect researchers, skills, infrastructure […]
Spotlight on early-career researchers: Elsemi Olwage
My name is Elsemi Olwage, I am an early career and post-doctoral researcher currently based at the University of Namibia (UNAM) in Windhoek. I am a social anthropologist with transdisciplinary research interests in environmental humanities and legal and political anthropology. I joined the Hub in 2023, with a focus on the politics and practices of […]
Contributing to UN call on access to scientific progress
The Hub made a submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on Cultural Rights on the human right to science, including access to and participation in scientific processes and sharing equitably in the benefits from scientific progress, with a view to bringing attention to the specific challenges and insights in ocean science, in November 2023. The […]
Spotlighting Ocean Defenders and the responsibilities of marine conservation organisations
Watch the webinar recording here. The Hub continues to explore, together with the United Nations and civil society and researchers’ networks how to bring greater visibility to the challenges faced by ocean defenders globally and the need to recognise and protect them as environmental human rights defenders (see also here). On 29 November 2023, Hub early-career researcher Taryn […]
Mapping marine and coastal socio-cultural uses in Algoa Bay, South Africa
Social and cultural interactions and connections to the coast and ocean include cultural, religious and spiritual practices, as well as uses based on livelihood, recreation and wellbeing. Participatory community mapping approaches can help map culturally significant areas along the coastline, and in the context of Algoa Bay, South Africa, we have supported these approaches and […]
Anchoring small-scale fishers’ rights in South Africa: Our ocean commons for a just future
The Coastal Justice Network organised a National Workshop for small-scale fishers in Gqeberha, South Africa, on 25-26th October 2023, to support small-scale fisher leaders in engaging on issues pertaining to the Ocean Economy Master Plan and Marine Spatial Planning and defending their rights as a sector in these processes. Background The organisation of the workshop […]
