A Tribute to Gary Simpson

Gary Simpson was not a man who blended quietly into the background of South Africa’s fisheries sector. He stood out – often deliberately so. Forthright, uncompromising, deeply informed and at times controversial, Gary became one of the most recognisable activist voices in the struggle over the future of fishing communities, marine resources and corporate accountability in the Western Cape and beyond.

His passing in Cape Town leaves behind a void in a sector where strong independent voices are increasingly rare.

Gary was never afraid to challenge authority, whether it was government regulators, large fishing corporations, industry lobbyists or even fellow activists. He believed fiercely that ordinary fishers and coastal communities deserved to be heard in boardrooms, courtrooms and policy forums where decisions affecting their livelihoods were too often made without them.

For many in the fishing industry, he was a thorn in the side of powerful interests. He asked uncomfortable questions. He challenged quota allocations, transformation failures, labour practices and the concentration of power within sections of the commercial fishing industry. He spoke with a level of blunt honesty that unsettled many but earned the respect of those who valued truth over convenience.

Gary understood the fishing sector not from theory alone, but from lived experience and relentless engagement. He possessed a rare ability to cut through technical jargon and expose the human consequences of policy decisions. Whether people agreed with him or not, few could deny that he brought insight, passion and intensity to every debate he entered.

He was also emblematic of a broader generation of fisheries activists who refused to accept that coastal communities should remain marginalised while billions flowed through the oceans economy. His advocacy reflected the frustrations, anxieties and aspirations of many small-scale fishers who often felt invisible within the larger machinery of government and corporate South Africa.

Controversy followed Gary because he refused to soften his views for comfort or approval. Yet history often remembers such individuals not for their ability to please everyone, but for their willingness to confront difficult realities when others chose silence.

In many ways, Gary Simpson represented the conscience – sometimes inconvenient, sometimes abrasive, but always present – of a sector wrestling with transformation, sustainability and economic justice.

His voice may now be silent, but the debates he helped ignite about fairness, access, accountability and the future of South Africa’s fishing communities will continue long after his passing.

May he rest in peace, and may those who remain continue to fight for a fisheries sector that is equitable, transparent and inclusive for all who depend on the sea.