The fish traps are located on the edge of the Skulpiesbaai Nature Reserve and the Stilbaai Marine Protected Area.

From an analysis of the Middle Stone Age layers at Blombos Cave, Klasiesrivier Caves, Die Kelders, Herolds Bay, Sea Harvest and Hoedjies Punt, it appears that sea food, including fish, has been part of the human diet for a very long time - at least 100,000 years ago.

One of the easiest ways of harvesting fish, would have been gathering those stranded in natural tidal pools after the turn of the tide.

Thus, while it is unknown exactly when the tradition of building and repacking tidal fish traps originated, it is most likely that it dates back to the Middle Stone Age (which stretched from about 250,000 to 25,000 years ago).

The tidal fish traps consist of low walls of boulders and pebbles constructed across gullies or other suitable localities within the intertidal zone.