Aaron Ndumiso is a fisherman from the village of Hobeni near the Dwesa-Cwebe nature reserve in South Africa. The region was declared a Marine Protected Area in 2000, prohibiting fishing and threatening the livelihoods of local fishermen. Ndumiso continues to fish illegally to support his family. He believes the ocean belongs to the communities and they only take what they need to survive. While the government maintains the fishing ban is necessary for conservation, Ndumiso hasn't lost hope that a compromise can be reached that allows limited community access.

1. Aaron Ndumiso wipes sweat off his
brow as he baits his fishing rod with
freshly caught conch. He was born
and raised in the village of Hobeni,
one of several communities
surrounding the Dwesa - Cwebe
nature reserve on the coast of the
Eastern Cape. Ndumiso, like many
other fishermen in the surrounding
communities have had their
livelihoods threatened after the
region was declared a Marine
Protected Area (MPA) in 2000.
Although in 1989, the MPA was
initially declared as a marine reserve
under the Transkei Government,
eleven years later it was re-
confirmed as a strictly no-take zone
in terms of the Marine Living
Resource Act. Members of the
By Dara Lewis
Photographs by Dara Lewis

2. community who heavily rely on the
ocean as a source of income have
fought this decision for 14 years.
Some, like Ndumiso ignore the
prohibition and continue to fish;
facing the risk of being arrested. "I
was born in this community, I live
here, my family lives here, this is
how I make money", says Ndumiso
with a mix of passion and
exhaustion. "They say it is illegal for
me to be here, but it's the
communities, this ocean belongs to
me...it is ours".
Chief Directorate of The Department
of Environmental Affairs: Oceans and
Coast, Dr. Alan Boyd, thinks
otherwise. In an interview with a
local newspaper, Dr. Boyd
maintained that the prohibition of the
Dwesa - Cwebe nature reserve is
necessary. "Both line fish and some
inter-tidal organisms are depleted
along much of the coast and the
purpose of the MPA is to protect the
few existing 'pristine' areas for
conservation as well as maintain
healthy populations [fish] which can
help renew populations outside the
MPA". The Department of
Environmental Affairs: Oceans and
Coast met with the surrounding
communities to explain their stance

3. and propose a possible compromise

4. which entailed very limited local
access to line fish but only if a permit
is obtained from the municipality in
Elliotdale 50 km from Dwesa -
Cwebe. Ndumiso agrees that the
area should be protected, but not
from community members whose
livelihood depend on it. "The tourist
take more shells and fish than us.
We only take what we need. We are
just trying to survive, that is all".
Grant Miller, owner of the Haven
Hotel, located on the reserve stands
in agreement with this philosophy.
Miller took over the hotel in 2005
and has been campaigning avidly for
the community fishermen since.
Ndumiso shares that although he
fishes here illegally, the Haven hotel
is his most lucrative customer. "The
hotel supports me, they let us fish
here. I am very grateful for that. If
the hotel stopped buying from me, I
don't know what I would do." A
couple days ago Ndumiso went to a
meeting held by the Department of
Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries."For 5 years now the
department has been meeting with
us, they make many promises. They
say they will open the water to us,
make it legal for us, but nothing
happens". When I asked Ndumiso, if
he has lost hope, he tilted his head
took a deep breathe and said, "I'm
not quite sure if it will ever be legal
for us but I will attend every meeting.
I won't lose hope".
"We are just trying to
survive, that is all."
"I won't lose
hope."