Commercial fishing may have declined, crayfish and perlemoen permits may have been reduced, but we still have first-hand stories that paint a vivid picture of what it was like in the old days. We have men born in the early 40’s who have fished our waters all their lives and who provide a rich oral history of events from 1950 to date.

William Prince from Hawston has written poetry that captures the hard life of a fisherman. Pictured here at a story telling evening jointly organised by the Hermanus History Society and the Walker Bay Ski boat club are from the left Edwin Johnson, Leon Isaacs, Eugene  le Roux, Willam Prince with his book of poems, Robin Lee and Charles Fisher.  These fishermen have worked on the sea all their lives and can recount experiences of danger, hardship and tragedy as well as success and laughter.

Robin  a well-known author,  is currently researching the history of the New Harbour.  The Walker Bay Ski Boat club is collaborating with Robin to collect pictures and stories. The ski boat club is based in the New Harbour and welcomes those with an interest in the environment or the fishing history of Hermanus. The club promotes sustainable and safe boat based fishing and caters for social members as well as boat owners and fishing enthusiasts (web site www.wbbsbc.com).

Walter Mapham -Chairperson

Published Hermanus Times 2 June 2016