COSATU to picket at Sea Harvest Waterfront in honour of forgotten fishermen

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) is deeply saddened by the silence that has developed around the 11 fishermen, who sank to their deaths aboard a fishing vessel while on duty more than two months ago.

When the Sea Harvest Group fishing vessel, MVF Lepanto, sank 63km off the coast of Hout Bay on 19 May, it had 20 crew members onboard. Nine were rescued, but 11 were lost at sea and eventually presumed drowned when the search was called off. Their bodies have never been recovered.

To highlight the plight of these fishermen and the critical need for stringent safety measures in the fishing industry, COSATU will hold a picket at the Sea Harvest offices, 04 South Arm Road, Waterfront, from 10am to 2pm on Wednesday, 31 July 2024.

Whilst COSATU is anxious to find out the cause of the accident that resulted in the loss of lives of these workers, the investigation is still ongoing. We call upon the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) to fast-track the investigation without compromising its integrity, to afford the families of the fishermen a sense of closure.

Once the report is finalised, COSATU urges SAMSA to release the report publicly for the sake of transparency and to promote compliance to safety and health regulations in the industry. We hope the outcome of the probe will not point to any form of negligence or non-compliance to Occupational Health and Safety regulations by the employer. The maintenance and service history of the MVF Lepanto, as well as the living conditions of workers inside the vessel, will be of particular interest to the Federation when the report is released.

We also eagerly await SAMSA's recommendations to ensure a disaster of such magnitude never happens again.

COSATU expects Sea Harvest to ensure the families of the fishermen are fully compensated for their loss, and that the nine who survived the ordeal are provided ongoing counselling at the company's expense. This must include relief for the family from the Compensation of Occupational Injuries and Diseases Fund.

The International Labour Organisation describes the fishing occupation as more hazardous than firefighting or mining because there isn't the clear separation between work and personal time. Many fishers work and live in the vessel, in cramped and congested conditions. Plus, there may be long periods when they are away from home.

It is for these reasons that employers are charged with the responsibility of ensuring fishing vessels are safe and fit for purpose.

Issued by COSATU

For further comment please contact:

Zanele Sabela(COSATU National Spokesperson)

Cell: 079 287 5788

Email: [email protected]

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.