Government, Big Capital and The People(s): A fishy tale of power, influence and development in Hout Bay Harbour

Abstract

The achievement of sustainable development requires the balanced interaction between three components: the economy, environment, and society. Finding this balance in practice requires a critical examination of the beliefs, systems, and institutions that govern decisionmaking. Achieving sustainable development in reality thus involves understanding the existing forms of power in a particular time and place – what they are, how they operate, and how they influence decisions for development. This study is an analysis of power in a specific case study: the Hout Bay harbour in Cape Town, South Africa. Economic activities were driven by the fishing industry, in particular Oceana, who operated and maintained a fishmeal factory in the harbour since 1958. While the factory provided employment for the local coloured residents of Hangberg, it also produced noxious odours and air pollution, leading to significant discontent from other sectors of Hout Bay. A local and largely white activist group, Fresh Air for Hout Bay (FAHB), challenged these operations on the basis of sustainability and this became a highly contested issue. After years of debate and tension, the factory would eventually close in 2019, marking the end of an era for the fishing industry in Hout Bay. The purpose of this study is to analyse the power dynamics in Hout Bay and determine how these influenced the decisions around the factory. To do this, a qualitative autoethnographic study was conducted using semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and documentary review. The power analysis found that those in power, particularly the City of Cape Town and