Fishmeal factory remaining open is ‘victory for poor’

05 November 2015 - 19:20 By RDM News Wire

The announcement that the Oceana fishmeal factory in Hout Bay will remain open is a victory for the harbour town’s poor working class‚ the local civic association says. Some residents had been calling for the factory’s closure because of the stench. However‚ the Hout Bay Civic Association had been advocating that it remain open‚ arguing that the town would be negatively impacted by its closure.The association on Thursday welcomed the announcement by Oceana Group CEO Francios Kuttel that the factory would remain open‚ and lauded community members who supported and worked on the association’s #OceanaMustStay Campaign.“The Hout Bay Civic Association is unapologetic about its stance to support the factory remaining open as this about the economic development and livelihood of the community. If the factory had to leave it would take with it the employment and the millions the business invests in the community in particular our schools through it CSI programmes.” The civic association said it had petitioned Oceana‚ the National Department of Public Works (DPW) and the City of Cape Town (COCT)‚ to address the challenges each of them were responsible for to prevent the closure.It called on Oceana to increase its production days to make the factory profitable; on the DPW to extend the lease of Oceana and on the COCT to “not draft the Air emission by-law in such a manner that will negatively impact Oceana’s operation on Hout Bay harbour”.Over 1‚200 residents had signed the petition‚ it said.It added that it rejected any attempt to convert the harbour to a tourist spot only‚ saying it should remain a fishing harbour. Despite the factory’s presence for the past 50 years‚ the community and tourism in Hout Bay had grown in leaps and bounds‚ it said.The association called on it’s the opposition lobby group Fresh Air for Hout Bay to help the community fight for decent land and housing and against crime‚ unemployment and inequality in the harbour town‚ saying these were “bigger than a smell”...

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