October was a month of many milestones for South Africa with a thrilling Rugby World Cup win and a promising show on the Cricket pitch too. Amongst all this excitement, one of the country’s key sectors quietly gathered on Saturday 21 October for a milestone of their own. Captains of the fishing industry gathered to celebrate the inaugural Fishing Industry Awards, a gala event aimed at recognising and honouring the collective contribution of the sector to the South African economy.
The event was held at the iconic Table Bay Hotel in the heart of the V&A Waterfront, perfectly positioned connecting the city and the sea.
The event, which was sponsored by local family business – Fish4Africa was co-hosted by FishSA.
Jo-ann Strauss, former miss South Africa and TV presenter, compèred the night’s proceedings whilst Stuart Taylor provided entertainment and Siv Ngesi ushered in the ‘gees’ for the Rugby World Cup semi-final which was patriotically included in the programme.
The event kicked off with a moment’s silence to remember those who were pillars in the industry that had passed but were instrumental in building the industry to what it is today.
The focus then shifted to celebrating the current role-players making their mark in numerous ways. Marine Scientist Dr Johann Augustyn and UCT’s Professor Douglas Butterworth received special recognition awards for their remarkable, long-serving contributions to the industry both locally and internationally.
Awards were also presented in the following categories:
- Leadership: ICV Africa
- SME Development: I&J
- Sustainability: The South African Hake Longline Association (SAHLLA)
- Women in Fishing: Michelle Bellinger
- Legends/Lifetime Award: Gaston Fernandes
The event was attended by captains of the industry and government representatives. Speeches by both Ms Sue Middleton, Deputy Director General for Fisheries Management in the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) as well as Loyiso Phantshwa, Chairperson of FishSA highlighted the important role the industry plays in the country’s economy contributing at least R7.9bn and also providing for close on 60 000 jobs.
“We are celebrating our 20th anniversary this year, and we realised how important it is to just stop for a moment and recognise and appreciate what we’ve achieved,” says Nicolette Weitsz from event sponsor Fish4Africa.
“We are so grateful to the many role-players that have contributed to our success and hence felt it will be a great gesture for our sector to celebrate together,” adds Nicolette.
The awards will now become an annual event with the specific focus of establishing a platform for honouring industry leaders.
“Many fishing companies like ours, have been family businesses passed on from generation to generation, this is why we are so delighted to have paused and created a moment in time where this legacy can be acknowledged,” concludes Nicolette.
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