Ancient Fish Traps

About Ancient Fish Traps

The ancient fish traps in Stilbaai (Still Bay) are located at the end of Wege Street, bordering the Skulpiesbaai Nature Reserve and the Stilbaai Marine Protected Area. These intertidal stone-walled traps, also known as visvywers, were built by the Khoisan people as far back as 3,000 years ago and are now a declared National Heritage Site. The traps rely on the movement of the tides to catch fish without modern gear: Low walls of boulders and pebbles are packed into half-moon shapes. At high tide, fish swim over the walls to feed. As the tide recedes, they are trapped in the shallow pools. Efficiency: The seaward side of the wall slopes gently to allow fish easy entry, while the landward side is vertical to prevent escape.