Anglers win right to Grunter’s Gully

DURBAN fisherman stood united on Saturday and against all odds, won the battle that gives them access to fish at Grunter’s Gully in the harbour.

Despite an agreement and permits that allow them to fish the designated area, fisherman have in the past been harrassed by port security and harbour police who have chased them from the area claiming they have no right to fish Grunter’s Gully. However, keen fisherman, Desmond D’Sa, took up the cause of his fellow anglers and called anglers together on Saturday in an effort to take a united stand.

D’Sa, said on two occasions last year fishermen were told the area was open to fishing. “In a press statement in August, the harbour master, Dennis Mqadi, said the area was open, and in a letter on 10 September ,there was no mention that the area was restricted. We held a meeting with Mqadi about the issue and on 20 December it was verbally confirmed that we were allowed to fish at Grunter’s Gully, from Bat Centre to Wilson’s Wharf and North and South Pier. We obtained permits for these designated areas, but there seems to be some miscommunication, as when we have been here to fish, we have been harrassed by security and I have heard of assaults on fishermen,” said D’Sa.

Another fisherman who was at the harbour on Saturday said he had seen an elderly couple who had been chased away by harbour security.

“Transnet are only custodians of this land, it belongs to the taxpayers. This couple has been paying taxes for years and shouldn’t be harrassed. SAPS have come and cut our lines and on Christmas day they were chasing people away. There seems to be a misunderstanding. Harbour security and police have not been told of the agreement,” he said.

Another fisherman, Essop Mohamed, said the group had been fishing at Grunter’s Gully for years and wanted it back.

As fishermen cast their lines along Grunter’s Gulley on Saturday, they remained steadfast as security and harbour police arrived. They were asked why they were fishing the area which was restricted. Cons Gumbi of Durban Harbour SAPS, said to his knowledge, fishermen were only permitted to fish at South Pier. However, he did his best to contact the relevant authorities to ascertain where fisherman were permitted to fish after D’Sa presented him with official permits and the necessary paperwork which allowed anglers to fish Grunter’s Gully.

Port Security officials ordered the Berea Mail to leave the area, saying the media were not welcome nor wanted. However, the anglers stood their ground and D’Sa later reported that the fishermen had won their battle and Grunter’s Gully was open to fishing. “We have won, there are about 100 fishermen here now, Gunter’s Gully is open,” said D’Sa, on Saturday afternoon.