Premier Fishing has donated at least 200 food parcels to its seasonal workers, to help them and their families get through the tough Covid-19 period.
The JSE-listed fishing company, which operates in fishing communities such as Saldanha, St Francis Bay, Gansbaai, Hout Bay and Cape Town, said the workers were those who had been unable to work as a result of the rapid spread of the Coronavirus.
Although Premier Fishing falls within the essential service category, the company said it followed the guidelines of the World Health Organization, the National Institute For Communicable Diseases (NICD) of South Africa and the local government.
The country’s fishing industry was deemed vital to the domestic food industry.
Environment, Forestry, and Fisheries Minister Barbara Creecy said the National Coronavirus Command Council exempted the fisheries sector, as well as the harbour, fishing vessels, shipping and docking services from the lockdown conditions.
A company spokesperson, who was reluctant to comment as the donation was not aimed at getting publicity, told Business Report that a number of its staff were seasonal workers due to the nature of the industry.
DONATION: Premier Fishing helps its workers
The spokesperson said some of the staff members were sole breadwinners and had not had an income for at least three months: “We create employment in the communities but with Covid-19 we had to proceed with a skeleton staff.”
Premier Fishing, owned by Sekunjalo’s JSE-listed African Equity and Empowerment Investment, is currently well positioned in the fishing industry for growth.
This is due to strong and solid empowerment credentials.