West Coast
latest news & developments
‘No one asked us’: West Coast fishers oppose offshore oil and gas development
From Doringbaai to Port Nolloth, West Coast communities are pushing back against mining and offshore oil and gas expansion. Residents, activists and fishers say consultation…
Harmful algal bloom causes five tonnes of West Coast rock lobster to crawl out of the ocean
Scientist says there is ‘nothing freaky’ about the red tide but warns against eating affected marine life
War for diamonds: An unequal battle
Illegal miners, who have been fighting to get mining permits, risk arrest and even death in confrontations between the police and security firms
A queer community in Elands Bay pushed for religious inclusion and won
Elands Bay’s queer folk were determined to find a home in the town’s conservative churches
The business case for environment, social and governance criteria
ESG performance presents an opportunity for involving communities in the decision-making process and reducing costs that might emerge down the line from litigation and fines
Seal die-off on Namibia coast ‘feels like a war zone’
Hundreds of dead Cape fur seals are washing ashore dead in Pelican Point, puzzling marine experts
A fight for survival: How West Coast fishers have stayed afloat in the pandemic
Small-scale fishers, abalone farmers, commercial trawlers, poachers: all have been affected, if not by fishing quotas, then by the pandemic
No evidence yet of harm to marine life after West Coast chemical cargo dump
The department of forestry, fisheries and the environment says a medium to long-term study of the environment is to start in mid-March
Find the middle ground on seismic surveys, says fishing group
The South African United Fishing Front wants discussions between those ‘for and against’ oil and gas exploration in South Africa’s seas
Cape fur seal die-off: NGO fundraises for test kits to help to find out why
Work is underway to determine if a marine biotoxin is linked to seal mortalities, although preliminary tests have proven negative or insignificant
West Coast fishers hail court victory halting seismic survey
The Legal Resources Centre hails court order as stunning victory for indigenous communities along the coast
West Coast seismic battle heads to court
Fourteen applicants, including small-scale fishers, have filed an urgent application in the Western Cape high court to interdict the Australian-based Searcher Seismic, Searcher…
Seismic surveys on West Coast pose threat to small-scale fishers’ livelihoods and culture
They are worried about the effect of blasting on the snoek fishery, which is the basis of their income
Battlelines drawn over new seismic survey on the West Coast
The Legal Resources Centre and Richard Spoor Attorneys are heading to court for urgent interdict against Searcher Seismic, an Australian exploration outfit
Thousands of thin Cape fur seals die on West Coast beaches
Starvation caused by overfishing is thought to be a major culprit but investigations are ongoing