The absence of allocated parking bays for trailers at the Strand slipway, adjacent to the abandoned jetty, has brought more than 66 local commercial fishermen and their recreational boat-user counterparts together to express a collective plea to the City of Cape Town to resolve the issue.
In response, the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Eddie Andrews, agreed it was time to “endeavour to engage directly with the local commercial fishers to find workable solutions”, and that an “interim solution for parking vehicles with trailers will be looked at in the area opposite the slipway.”
This comes after several months of frustrations by boat owners who bemoaned the situation after being “constantly harassed” by law enforcement to move their vehicles, stop selling fish alongside the slipway and face R1 000 fines for not parking in allocated areas.
“But there is no allocated parking area, look around, where must we park?” asked John Pretorius, who represented commercial fishermen in Strand. “Historically this has always been our space.”
He pointed to an area just adjacent to the public bathrooms, which was recently cordoned off with concrete benches during a refurbishment project.
“The City closed it off and now fines us for not parking our trailers there. It’s absurd!”
Pretorius added that the City failed to consult the fishers and did not bother to explain where they must park.
Ricardo Messina, another fisherman, said the problem was escalating daily and needed urgent attention from the City.
“The City is responsible for parking bays and previously used to sell us a permit to park here, which was valid for a year,” he pointed out. “But that has been discontinued without any explanation to us. We are still prepared to pay for parking, just tell us where to park,” he pleaded.
Malcolm Baard added that since last month many fish sellers who traded from the slipway were also forced by Law Enforcement to move, thus further exacerbating the situation.
“We would feel better if there were discussions with us before all these decisions are taken,” he said.
According to Andrews, parking on the slipway itself is not permitted in terms of the Coastal By-Law and an interim solution for parking vehicles with trailers will be looked at in the area opposite the slipway. He also didn’t answer why there were no allocated parking bays since the refurbishment project at the public bathrooms.
Andrews explained that the permit system, which was run by the former municipality, has since fallen away, and there is currently no launch permit required.
“We are looking into reintroducing a free Public Boat Launch Permit for all City Public Boat Launch Sites,” he confirmed. Andrews also confirmed that the City would investigate an interim solution, engage with commercial fishermen and then look at formalising four to five vehicle and trailer parking bays.
“The relevant departments will engage and plan a way forward. We will investigate an interim solution, until we can formalise a parking plan and have it adopted and then implemented with road markings, signage and so on.”
He also confirmed that the other slipway at Melkbaai Beach in Strand is not a registered public boat launch site and the launching of motorised vessels is not permitted at that location.
“This is in terms of national legislation (Small Vessel safety regulations) as well as the City’s Coastal Bylaw.” Andrews also made it clear that fish may not be sold on the actual slipway itself.
“There is a fish cleaning facility adjacent to the slipway and fish are sold in the adjacent areas regulated by Informal Trading.
Only commercial fishers may sell their catch and may trade only on public property with a City Trading Permit.”
