I am a fisherman born in a traditional fisher family as my father and his father before him. Left school 1983 as they did not teach me how to fish. I started full time handline on my fathers vessel Blockbuster, then Sunsero. Bought a hull and built my own vessel the first Strandwolf in 1986. From 1987 to 1993 me and my crew went pelagic trawling in Namibia for 6 months a year. Other 6 months we longlined hake , trawled hake and linefish. Did my grades in 1992 in Walvisbay and further those in 1999 in PE. Lost my linefish licence in 1994, but was returned due to the findings of corruption at MCM buying and selling of those rights. Founder of HKVV 1993 consisting of only traditional fishers. Applied for rights and in 1997 was granted wcrl, HKVV then purchased a factory Strand Fisheries.
Resigned from HKVV in 2000 due to the board allowed pakket vissers and pensioners as members and shareholders. Factory went under due to shareholders self interest schemes. During 1996 was in consultation with MCM regarding the writing of the new MRLA act and was around the table at FPDC writing the act 1997. Was chairman of Valsbaai Visser Ko-op to whom 72 traditional vessels and crew in the linefish sector belonged. VVK was a 13% shareholder in SACFH who then held the ownership of SACFC who had huge fishing rights. SACFC was chaired by a lawyer who robbed us blind, then we got another lawyer to rectify this, but he robbed us bankrupt. We asked the minister to interfere and all allocations was denied to SACFC. I am chairman of HAFA (Helderberg Artisanal Fishers Association) and secretary of AFASA (Artisanal Fishers Association of Southern Africa) We have membership to a lot of international fisher organizations and we attend those meetings and pressure government internationaly. Currently we have a delegation in Bangkok at the summit. I am based in the Strand/ Gordons bay.
My hands on fishing experience include the following:
Linefishing, harvest, processing and marketing
Wcrl , harvest both sectors and marketing
Hake harvest both as trawl and longline
Tuna and Swordfish longline Harvesting
Beachseine in Namibia and local used last permit area 23.
Setnets with permit holders at Dwarskersbos
Pelagic purse seine
Research related participation
1992 Skiboat snoek viability in Walvisbay
1992 wcrl viability between Walvisbay and Swakopmund
1988 Pelagic research South and Eastern Cape Viability study
1997 Wcrl movements in False bay, rejected by MCM but proven to be true in 2001
2003 Skiboat longline for inshore kingklip.
Caught fish in Chile, Namibia and whole coastline of SA.