The apparent lack of concern around the conservation status of Mapungubwe has lead to the development of The Coalition Group, consisting of local community members and experts within the heritage and conservation fields, that aims to prevent any further development of the intended opencast and underground coal mine that is to be located less than 6 km from the Mapungubwe National Park and the Mapungubwe World Heritage site.

So why is Mapungubwe so Important?

The following is a media release which I received from The Endangered Wildlife Trust this morning and it highlights just how important it is for this unique area to be developed responsibly.

Vanessa Bristow believes we need to protect the Mapungubwe region against industrial development because “once we’ve lost this battle there’s nothing left for anybody”.

Vanessa is well acquainted with the traces that ancient life has left behind. She feels that at Mapungubwe there is an overwhelming sense of “enormous history” and evidence of how time has “carved its way through the landscape”.

However, the authorisation given to an Australian company called Coal of Africa Limited (CoAL) to construct an open-cast coal mine, called the Vele Colliery, just outside of the boundaries of the Mapungubwe National Park will affect this fragile natural harmony. To Bristow, without these pristine wilderness areas, “the world would be a much sadder place.”

Bristow, like many others, believes that the Mapungubwe region should be preserved and protected from the impacts of infrastructural development, and allowed to remain pristine for generations to come.

An especially worrying facet of industrial development at Mapungubwe is the possible permanent loss of a “green”, nature-based tourism destination. If mining is allowed to continue here, the area will over time be transformed to “brown” industrial development. The impact of this could be the loss of a 2-million hectare transfrontier conservation area existing between Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe, which has the potential to deliver a similar wildlife product to the Kruger National Park, with the added element of the cultural global significance.

A fully functioning Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA) has been a desired state attribute since the inception of the Mapungubwe National Park. The extension of the cultural landscape will improve its authenticity and integrity and so make it more attractive to tourists.

Vele colliery’s own Environment Management Plan states that the mine will employ 826 permanent employees, resulting in an impact on the direct livelihood of approximately 1 495 people. Jobs in mines often come with serious health and social impacts, and at the end of the coal mine’s estimated 29-year life span, the employment opportunities will end. What’s more, the mine’s figures do not take into account the jobs that will be lost in other burgeoning industries in the region such as agriculture and tourism.

In comparison, in the tourism sector at least 700 permanent jobs currently exist in the core of the Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA). The conservative estimate is that within the TFCA 3 904 direct jobs will be created over the next 15 years. Jobs in this sector also employ a wider mixture of people, including women and elderly people.

An important difference between economic opportunities from mining and tourism, is that the tourism sector’s employment opportunities are sustainable and depend on an intact environment, which in turn, will continue to contribute towards the health of all neighbouring communities and the country’s GDP for the benefit of future generations. Tourism income also stays within a country and does not flow out to foreign investors and shareholders.

The Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape offers unique opportunities for many other forms of job creation that are sustainable, more socially equitable and less environmentally damaging. With the world moving towards the development of green economies, the opportunity that South Africa has to take advantage of the uniqueness of this special place should surely prevail over the desire of a few investors to transform it for short-term gain.

If local people lose their access to natural and cultural resources, the income from any jobs in mines will have to be significant, and sustainable to compensate for this. As such the opportunity cost of these jobs must also be carefully measured.

Find out more about the campaign to Save Mapungubwe at www.savemapungubwe.org.za  or join the Save Mapungubwe community on Facebook

ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN TO SAVE MAPUNGUBWE

The Save Mapungubwe Coalition Group aims to prevent any further development of the intended opencast and underground coal mine that is to be located near Mapungubwe, a World Heritage Site.

The Coalition Group believes that mining should be conducted in a responsible manner and not within an area where there are better, sustainable options for land use.

The Coalition Group consists of a number of civil society organisations, namely:

• the Association of Southern African Professional Archaeologists (ASAPA),
• BirdLife South Africa (BLSA),
• ·the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT),
• the Mapungubwe Action Group (MAG),
• the Peace Parks Foundation (PPF),
• the Wilderness Foundation South Africa (WFSA), and
• the World Wide Fund for Nature (South Africa) (WWF).

The Coalition is currently appealing the mining right granted by the Department of Mineral Resources as well as the associated approval of the Environmental Management Programme. The Coalition further launched interdict proceedings to stop CoAL from carrying on any mining or related operations on the Vele site, lodged a notice of intention to appeal the environmental authorisation granted to CoAL by the Department of Environmental Affairs in the first s.24G application for rectification of illegal activities and lodged an appeal against the water use licence granted to Limpopo Coal in March 2011.

]]> http://www.moyawatenga.co.za/mapungubwe-a-valuable-green-tourism-destination/feed/ 0 http://www.moyawatenga.co.za/new-research-helps-conservationists-mitigate-bird-and-power-line-collisions/ http://www.moyawatenga.co.za/new-research-helps-conservationists-mitigate-bird-and-power-line-collisions/#comments Tue, 21 Jun 2011 05:58:55 +0000 Andrew Beck http://www.moyawatenga.co.za/?p=3191

Recent noteworthy research is helping the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) to better manage the interactions between birds and electrical infrastructure. The EWT first identified a conservation need around wildlife and power line interactions in 1996. The most common problems are electrocution of perched birds, and birds colliding with power lines. Birds can also cause short circuits in the electricity supply, which costs both Eskom and the electricity user.

Ludwig’s Bustard threatened by power line collisions

A species of particular concern to conservationists involved in wildlife and power line mitigation is the Ludwig’s Bustard Neotis ludwigii. This bird, which is near-endemic to southern Africa, is extremely susceptible to collisions with power lines, and was uplisted to globally Endangered in 2010 based on the anticipated population decline stemming from this form of mortality. Surveys suggest that at least 11-15% of the population may be killed annually on high-voltage transmission lines, although actual mortality is probably much higher given biases in carcass detection and the fact that estimates exclude mortality on lower voltage distribution lines and telephone wires. Given a global population of about 56 000 – 81 000 birds in the late 1980s, this mortality seems unsustainable.

In light of this, research is being conducted to find out more about the impacts of collisions on populations of this long lived species, and to investigate ways to mitigate this through censuses, mortality surveys, marker experimentation and satellite tracking. Initial census counts indicate a population decline, and line surveys across the South African range reveal high variation in collision rates. Three satellite tags have already been deployed on male Ludwig’s Bustards, and initial results indicate that their daily movements are relatively short. As such occasional large-scale movements may pose the greatest threat to these birds.

A need for systematic power line collision surveys

A 199 km stretch of power line was recently surveyed in the Overberg region, and 123 bird carcasses of at least 18 species were found. Collisions were more common than electrocutions, apparently killing 88% of the birds found on distribution lines. Large terrestrial birds were the most numerous victims, with many Blue Cranes and Denham’s Bustards Neotis denhami killed. 54% of all carcasses were Blue Cranes. About 12% of the total Blue Crane population within the Overberg study area could be killed annually in power line collisions. This represents a possibly unsustainable source of mortality, and highlights the urgent need for further research into risk factors.

The survey again highlights the hazard that power lines pose to birds, and the urgent need for further research into the population impacts of the high incidence of collisions. Locating and mitigating collision ‘hotspots’ (short sections of line where multiple collision events have occurred) may be the most effective approach to reducing collision mortality in this region.

Bird mortality on power lines in South Africa is currently recorded on the Central Incident Register (CIR), which is a collation of incidentally reported cases, managed by the Endangered Wildlife Trust. The Overberg study estimated that only 2.6% of power line mortalities in that area are reported, emphasising the importance of systematic surveys in quantifying mortality and directing mitigation.

Mitigating with bird visual capacity in mind

An important factor in bird collisions with power lines that previously received little attention is birds’ visual capacity. In a recent research project, visual fields were determined in three birds known to frequently collide with power lines: White Storks Ciconia ciconia, Blue Cranes Anthropoides paradiseus and Kori Bustards Ardeotis kori. All three species live in open habitats and are visually guided ground feeders with large eyes. While all three have the narrow and vertically long binocular frontal visual fields typical of birds that use vision to guide the capture of prey in the bill, they differ markedly in the vertical extent of their binocular field. As such, the extent of the blind spot ahead of the birds, above and below their binocular fields differs. When a bird is in flight, vertical movement of the head such as when birds scan the ground below for foraging or roost sites, can blind it in the direction of travel. In bustards and cranes head movements of only 25° and 35° respectively are enough to render the birds blind in the direction of travel, but storks require head movements of 55°. As such, bustards and cranes are probably more vulnerable to power line collisions because of the small size of their binocular fields and their substantial blind spots. These findings may also apply to other bird families that are prone to collisions, including some of the larger diurnal raptors that have small binocular fields similar to those of bustards and cranes.

Because visual fields vary among bird species, it is unlikely that we will find one solution to all collisions. While line marking is probably effective for storks, birds such as bustards will need additional solutions, although we recommend that power lines continue to be marked. Distracting these birds away from obstacles or encouraging them to land nearby, so making them more aware of their surroundings and of marked power lines, may help to prevent collisions.

The EWT’s Wildlife & Energy Programme’s main activity is the Eskom – EWT Strategic Partnership. This Programme was formed in response to increasing concern over wildlife being harmed by Eskom’s infrastructure. The partnership aims to minimise mortalities through research, input into the design of new infrastructure, the replacement of older, more harmful structures, and by collecting and analysing wildlife mortality data. It also trains Eskom staff in wildlife interactions with their infrastructure. These activities are funded through agreements with various Eskom divisions, and today this partnership stands unique in the world as a successful home-grown solution, designed for an African environment and implemented by Africans. The Programme is also expanding its activities into other African countries, most notably Kenya, where an initial risk assessment of the infrastructure has been conducted, and presentations have been given to the electrical utility.

Full reports are available:

• Jenkins, A.R., Shaw, J.M., Smallie, J.J., Gibbons, B., Visagie, R. & Ryan, P.G. In press. Estimating the impacts of power line collisions on Ludwig’s Bustards Neotis ludwigii. Bird Conservation International.
• Shaw, J.M., Jenkins, A.R., Smallie, J.J. & Ryan, P.G. 2010. Modelling power-line collision risk for the Blue Crane Anthropoides paradiseus in South Africa. Ibis 152: 590-599, and Shaw, J.M., Jenkins, A.R., Ryan, P.G. & Smallie, J.J. 2010. A preliminary survey of avian mortality on power lines in the Overberg, South Africa. Ostrich 81: 109-113
• Martin, G.R. & Shaw, J.M. 2010. Bird collisions with power lines: Failing to see the way ahead? Biological Conservation 143: 2695-2702

Contact:

Jon Smallie

Programme Manager: Wildlife & Energy Programme

Endangered Wildlife Trust

Tel: +27 (0) 11 486 1102

Email: jons@ewt.org.za

Jessica Shaw

Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology

DST/NRF Centre of Excellence

University of Cape Town

Tel: +27 (0)21 650 3306

jessica.shaw@uct.ac.za

Or

Hayley Komen

EWT media office

Tel: +27 (0)11 486 1102

Email: media@ewt.org.za

Gansbaai is a hot spot for Great White sharks and through the efforts of the Marine Dynamics Crew, including an onboard marine biologist, a large database of fin identification has been established, and patterns of behaviour established. Ongoing studies are planned to discover more about their habits in the shallows during the summer months. Acquiring new knowledge and creating awareness through education is vital to conserving this species.

Introduction

Great White sharks have been IUCN red listed since 1996, and Cites appendix II since 2004. They have been fully protected in SA since 1991.

Gansbaai has been established as an extremely important hotspot for Great White sharks and food is believed to be the main attraction to the area. In winter months (May – September), Geyser Rock, adjacent to Dyer Island, provides a banquet of juvenile Cape fur seals(Arctocephalus pusilus pusilus) born each year. Various fish species such as Geelbek, Snoek and Yellowtail are available in seasonal abundance, along with smaller shark species such as soupfin shark (also known as vaalhaai), upon which the Great White Shark feeds.

Up until now, our Marine Biologist, Alison Towner, has been working on building a shark identification data base. Just as human beings have a unique finger print, Great White Sharks can be identified by their dorsal fins. We use two methods of photo identification to identify individual sharks from one another.

1. Dorsal Fin identification: Using the trailing edge of the dorsal fin we can distinguish specific notch marking sequences. These are individual to sharks and can now be recognised accurately by using the latest computer program technology.

1. Sub-surface identification: Under water film footage and photography can enable us to identify great white sharks even more accurately by matching specific pigmentation markings on three marked areas of each shark by their gills pelvic fins and tails .

The Problem

We remain uncertain of the reasons why we see sharks patrolling the surf zone of the swimming beaches during the summer months. No one has been able to explain the incentive behind this habitat use, whether it is breeding or feeding. There are numerous interactions between White sharks and other marine animals such as dolphins, whales and seals – a unique situation rarely encountered anywhere else in the world.

The Solution

The Dyer Island Conservation Trust together with Marine Dynamics, have funded a custom designed research vessel called Lwazi (“Knowledge” in Xhosa) and developed a project where we acoustically track sharks in our area during the summer months to assess their behaviour.

The Way Ahead: Discover & Protect

Our ultimate goal is protection of the Great White shark species. As a result of adequate tracking data over a reasonable time period and better understanding of the white sharks usage of Gansbaai’s shallows, we can more effectively protect the white shark and its specific key foraging areas whilst informing and protecting beach users. Interactions between other marine life and great white sharks are determined and communicated to scientists in various marine life fields which presents the unique opportunity to network and asses the white sharks role within the entire marine ecosystem.

The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) welcomes a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington D.C. on 31 May 2011 denying a petition to reconsider the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2009 ban on domestic food tolerances for carbofuran, a pesticide used to kill nematodes in the soil. Carbofuran is a World Health Organisation red-labelled product, meaning it is classified in the most toxic category. Many of the larger international chemical companies have voluntarily withdrawn products containing carbofuran in response to the environmental damage caused and the threats it poses to human health.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has shown that dietary exposure to carbofuran is unsafe for humans. In August 2006 the Agency published its Interim Re-registration Eligibility Decision and concluded that no uses of carbofuran were eligible for re-registration because of ecological and occupational risks. In 2009 the EPA issued a final rule revoking all domestic and imported food tolerances for carbofuran.

This decision was challenged repeatedly by FMC Corporation, the leading manufacturer of carbofuran, and American agribusiness lobbyists, in federal court. As a result, a federal court allowed some imports containing carbofuran to continue entering the country. FMC then appealed to the Supreme Court to reinstate domestic food tolerances for carbofuran.

Tim Snow, Manager of the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Wildlife Conflict Mitigation Programme, which has been running the only project to reduce wildlife poisoning in South Africa since the early 1990s, says:

“We welcome the decision since this chemical has caused much damage to humans, wildlife and domestic animals in Africa on an escalating scale. We would like to see an international ban of this chemical.”

He furthermore said that in South Africa carbofuran products such as Curaterr and Nemacurr are decreasingly being used, with a greater sense of environmental responsibility amongst farmers.

The Endangered Wildlife Trust’s Wildlife Conflict Mitigation Programme has been monitoring wildlife poisonings in South Africa since 1994. It has found that carbofuran is implicated in the second most number of wildlife poisonings, after aldicarb. The many hundreds of possible carbofuran victims include Leopards, jackals, vultures, raptors, game birds, cranes, waterfowl, Honey Badgers, sheep, antelope, dogs and cats.

Through its Poisoning Prevention Project the Programme works at the interface between pesticides and wildlife, pesticides and human health, pesticides and urban, rural/agricultural environments. All suspected poisonings reported to the project are investigated with toxicology samples being taken where results are analysed, so that conservation actions can be taken to reduce the incidence of wildlife poisoning. There is a strong emphasis on collaboration with partners to resolve conflict issues through open discussion to achieve common objectives.

A major component of the project’s work is advocacy and lobbying for pesticide safety and the prevention of environmental contamination. To this end the Programme chairs the Chemical Crime Management Forum, a multilateral NGO/Industry/Government committee, which to date has addressed many thorny issues through informal and formal liaison. It also chairs the National Conflict Bird Forum, which addresses conflict issues between birds and farmers, predominantly with an objective of poisoning prevention. Furthermore, the Programme is part of the Multi-stakeholder Committee for Chemical Management, a committee convened by the Department of Environmental Affairs to discuss problematic chemicals and how to manage them. The Programme’s Manager is part of the project management unit of the African Stockpiles Programme, an international project for the retrieval of obsolete and unwanted pesticides.

The Endangered Wildlife Trust is celebrating World Environment Week with a series of media releases highlighting new innovations, research and actions on behalf of biodiversity conservation. World Environment Day on 5 June has the official tagline – Forests: Nature at Your Service.

Contact: Tim Snow

Manager, Wildlife Conflict Mitigation Programme

Tel: +27 (0)82 802 6223

Or

Hayley Komen

EWT Media Office

Tel: +27 (0)11 486 1102

“As of April 1 this year, we are deployed around the border area that would cover the Kruger Park and we are in a position now to assist them them with the plight that has been bedeviling them for a very long time which is rhino poaching,”

minister Lindiwe Sisulu told a press briefing.

South African National Parks asked the military to step in to help stop the ongoing rhino bloodbath in the park which lost 146 animals last year.

“We have deployed a company there and we will be able to deal with the problem of poaching effectively,”

said acting defence force chief General Temba Matanzima.

The soldiers have not yet clashed with poachers who had killed 46 rhinos in Kruger park this year out of a countrywide total of 71 by last month. Home to more than 70 percent of the world’s remaining rhinos, South Africa lost 333 rhinos last year and the surge — fuelled by use of rhino horn in Asian traditional medicine — has been blamed on organised syndicates.

The operation in Kruger is part of a move to give the army, rather than police, responsibility for border patrols.

The Endangered Wildlife Trust would be delighted if you would join us for:

The EWTalk and Dinner at Country Club Johannesburg (Auckland Park)

12 April 2011

Life Lessons from Wildlife,

A Natural history filmmakers’ humbling experiences in the wild

By Rob Waldron

Taking an average of two years to complete, each wildlife film is a tribute to the animals and conservationists that work with them daily. Working closely with specialist scientists and conservationists such as Dr.Gus Mills, Dr. Paul Funston, Dr Ian Player, Dr. Ian Whyte, and Prof Antoinette Kotze, the films emerge with good science pointing the way to the future. Yet it is the animals themselves which surprise always, with their daily lessons on life.

Join EWT and Rob Waldron for a deeper look into the exciting world of creating wildlife documentaries in Southern Africa.

Robert Waldron has produced wildlife films for National Geographic Channel, Discovery Channel and Animal Planet, amongst other broadcasters nationwide. His films have won a number of awards at the International Wildlife Film Festival in the USA; the Director’s Prize in Italy and the Best Film on Wildlife at the IUCN. These films have given him the privilege of observing wildlife in action, over many years, and in particular endangered species across the world, from the far reaches of Southern Africa to the wild areas of North America.

Apart from producing and screenwriting, Robert has recently published his first novel ‘Walk in the Cool’ dealing with the marginalisation of the San people of the Kalahari. Robert owns the film production company Wild Dog Productions, with branches in South Africa and Gaborone, Botswana.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Costs

Please note the price changes for 2011

• Non-members – R75 per talk
• Members – R50 for talk
• Dinner – R115
• Non-members – Talk only R75 or Talk + Dinner R190
• EWT/CCJ members – Talk only R50 or Talk and Dinner R165

Please note: Dinner reservations need to be booked and paid for by 4pm Monday 11 April.

Venue

Country Club Johannesburg,

1 Napier Road, Auckland Park

Tuesday 12 April 2011

18h30 for 19h00

RSVP to or Nicola Vogel on 011 486 1102

Call to Action:

Thank you for supporting us over the years. Now become an ACTIVE part of the solution

Introduce a friend to the EWT Membership and enter into our exclusive competition to win a luxurious weekend away at 5 star Samara Game Reserve; and other fantastic prizes including vouchers, books and wildlife prints. By encouraging friends, family and colleagues to become members you are actively encouraging environmental consciousness and helping the EWT spread our message.

For EFT payments -please email proof of payment to nicolav@ewt.org.za <mailto:nicolav@ewt.org.za> or fax to:

(011) 486 1506

Endangered Wildlife Trust

First National Bank, Rosebank

Acc. No. 50371564219

Branch Code. 25 33 05

REF: Name + EWT Talk

Noelle, Uriel and Blair onboard 'Slashfin'Getting ready to go diving

Mairead and Nicole shark tracking with the marine biologists

Blair, Uriel, Ben, Mairead & Nicole

The sharks for this month was also really good and the volunteers had the chance to participate in the tagging and tracking of our fourth great white shark, Nina.

The dives were all good but with the water a little bit cold the volunteers still had an amazing time. 

A part from just working (as non of them minded because this is just so much fun), we did have the ocasional no sea days due to strong winds and rough seas. The volunteers did all sorts of great things such as horse riding, quad biking (be aware of Uriel, that is now known as the flying dutchman), trip to Cape Town and learned how to surf as well as visit our feathery friends, the penguins at Betty’s Bay. They also had a very educational tour at our local abalone farm.

Mairead & Noelle horse riding

Ben, Blair and Uriel quad bikingMairead & Uriel surfingLunchtime together

There was also an Elephant seal reported at Franskraal of being very weak, that the volunteers had a chance to help with taking photos and logging the data. The seal was a very young female. The next day she was reported near the Kleinbaai harbour, so we believe that she will be just fine.  With all the fun and excitement we also had to take a break and educate the volunteers on our conservation and marine species, so we had some lectures by our 4 marine biologists .  There was also plenty of data to be captured.

Volunteers help with elephant seal rescue

Uriel capturing dataLectures with our marine biologists

cricket in the street

Uriel taking Max and Jake for a walk

Mairead's friend that lived outside her window

Member of the IUCN – International Union for the Conservation of Nature

Help Enforce the Law Against Illegal Dog Hunting and Save an Endangered Species

Illegal hunting with dogs is rife in parts of South Africa and this is having a serious impact on wildlife, including the Endangered Oribi Ourebia ourebi antelope.

The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) calls on the public to report illegal dog hunting to them. “If we don’t stop this practice, antelope like the Oribi could soon be extinct in South Africa,” says Samson Phakathi, Field Officer with the EWT’s Threatened Grassland Species Programme. “Oribi are already threatened by habitat loss and hunting with domestic dogs is causing a serious decline in the population. Hunting with dogs also affects livestock, which has financial implications for farmers.”

While in the vast minority, some cases where this form of hunting is used are driven by a need for food, but the primary motivation and biggest threat to the Oribi is sport hunting. Although there are stringent laws against hunting with dogs, organised ‘taxi hunts’, as they are called, where people gather from across the country in order to gamble on a dogs’ hunting success, can be financially very rewarding to dog owners. The winning dog could earn tens of thousands of rands in a single hunt, while successful dogs purportedly sell for between R10 000 and R24 000. There are reports of up to 40 people being involved in a single taxi hunt and because of the number of people and dogs involved, flushed animals stand little chance of escape. This form of hunting is therefore extremely destructive, not only to the Oribi but to all animals in the hunters’ way.

Hunts usually take place on private property and are organised for a time when the land owner is away, indicating insider involvement. It is therefore difficult to catch the perpetrators and few are ever brought to justice. Hunters are furthermore said to be heavily armed and land owners report intimidation, which makes law enforcement even more difficult.

The legislation dealing with dog hunting is often difficult to interpret and is not community-friendly. To address this, the EWT has translated some of these laws into isiZulu and is disseminating this amongst the rural communities in KZN. The key messages are that hunting with dogs and trespassing on private property is illegal and perpetrators can be prosecuted.

The EWT furthermore arranged and hosted a dog hunting stakeholder meeting on 10 February 2011 at Midmar Dam in KwaZulu-Natal. It was well attended by stakeholders from across the province, including land owners, conservation officials, security companies, conservancy representatives, forestry companies and conservation NGOs. The need for the establishment of a database to record illegal dog hunting incidents was clear and the EWT’s Threatened Grassland Species Programme is taking the lead on this. The information collected in this database will be used to determine where the primary target areas are for illegal dog hunts in South Africa so that an education and awareness and enforcement strategy can be developed targeting those areas.

The EWT is planning a follow-up stakeholder meeting for 7 May 2011, again in the KZN midlands. We hope that in addition to the broad range of attendees from the previous workshop, community hunters and the South African Police Services will also attend. While these workshops are currently being held in KZN, people from across the country are welcome, since it is an issue of national concern.

The Oribi is a highly specialised antelope inhabiting African temperate grasslands. Oribi have a wide distribution on the African continent, however in South Africa (Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga), their numbers have declined sharply in recent years, primarily due to habitat destruction and continued poaching. An estimated 2 500 animals remain in KZN, while less than 800 are left in the rest of the country. The Oribi is a useful flagship species for highlighting the value of, but also the threats to grasslands. Only 2.2% of South Africa’s grasslands are formally conserved and over 60% have already been irreversibly transformed. Grasslands are the water and food production centres of the country and also the centre of urban development. For this reason it is crucial that we protect the remaining natural grasslands.

If you have any information on illegal hunts involving dogs, please contact the EWT’s Samson Phakathi on 082 805 4806 or 033 330 6982. Information will be treated as confidential and anonymous tip-offs are welcome. Not only will this information help with investigations into illegal hunting but will also contribute to the conservation of one of our most threatened antelope, and a host of other threatened species in South Africa.

Contact: Samson Phakathi

Endangered Wildlife Trust

Field Officer, KwaZulu Natal, Threatened Grassland Species Programme

Tel: +27 (0)33 330 6982

Cell: +27 (0)82 805 4806

Ian Little

Endangered Wildlife Trust

Manager, Threatened Grassland Species Programme

Tel: +27 (0)84 240 7341

Or

Hayley Komen

EWT media office

Tel: +27 (0)11 486 1102

Email: media@ewt.org.za <>

We have had some great days out on Lwazi with our volunteers assisting with tracking Nina

February 2011 has been an excellent month. We have encountered some spectacular white shark sightings and a drastic improvement on shark numbers from December/January.  Interestingly, white shark presence has only been documented at Dyer Island and not in the normal shallow water reef system of Joubertsdam.  The only female shark we saw in the shallows this month was a 2.4m individual (Nina) who we subsequently tagged as part of the DICT research project. After the transmitter was attached to the shark, we tracked her movements continuously for 8 hours where she proceeded to move directionally away from the shallows towards Dyer Island. She has remained within the vicinity of the island until this date!

This is my 5th February working with Marine Dynamics and I have never before seen a) so many male sharks b) so few females and c) sharks at Dyer Island! So the question is why?… Initially, we thought the presence of the sharks at the island was possibly a temporary scenario, but it seems that the sharks are readily attempting to predate on Cape Fur seal juveniles. 

Sharks are readily attempting to predate on Cape Fur seal juveniles as seen in the picture.

 The photo of the seal here was taken by Nick Jones and confirms just this.  Water temperature and environmental effects could be a key influence on the shark’s presence at Dyer Island, especially since we are in the middle of one of the worst La Nina events this century. (See Neville Nicholls Article, 2011)

What we can say, is that many of these male sharks have bite wounds either on the anterior musculature, head, or gill regions, which indicates that there could be a degree of inter-specific (within the species) competition for food and space.   The daily data logs from Marine Dynamics vessel have revealed, over time, some very interesting relationships between shark numbers and environmentals (in progress, Alison Towner). We are very excited to see the results of this data once it is collated.

Familiar fins

One particular shark who has returned to our area is ‘Slice’. This 3-meter male appeared in the bay the same time of year in 2010 and has a distinctive slice down the centre of the dorsal fin, which appears to have healed half way up now.

Another familiar fin, which arrived in the bay this February, was Jagger, a distinctive 3m male with an almost ‘tin-opener’ shaped dorsal tip.

Jagger's dorsal fin

Durban Shark and Ray Meeting.

Group at Durban Shark and Ray Meeting

Oliver Jewell and I represented the Dyer Island Conservation Trust/Marine Dynamics by attending the first ever South African Shark and Ray meeting held at KZN sharks board, Durban. This eagerly awaited, three day symposium involved talks and presentations from scientists based all over SA in the elasmobranch field and saw the collaboration of regional and international NGO’s such as Save our Seas, Oceans Education (Mossel Bay), South African Shark Conservancy (Hermanus) and of course the Dyer Island Conservation Trust (Kleinbaai). The scientists shared their knowledge on species in their respective areas, with details of ongoing research. The meeting was a huge success and addressed issues that need to be improved and focused on in the future. It seems shark research has come a long way in South Africa and this meeting has allowed scientists to put some solid concrete plans in place. Keep following our work and to support our project click here.

The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) and 10 other Non-governmental Organisations, led by the Centre for Environmental Rights, have proposed a list of areas of critical environmental value, where mining and prospecting should be prohibited.

This is in the national interest and is in compliance with many legislative imperatives, including the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. The proposal supports the sustainable development of South Africa’s mineral resources, whilst at the same time ensuring the protection of our most precious and sensitive natural environments, which, amongst others, will assist our country to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

The proposal is a formal application by non-government and civil society organisations to the Minister of Mineral Resources to exercise her discretion under Section 49 of the Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 2002 (MPRDA), having regard to the national interest and the need to promote the sustainable development of the nation’s mineral resources, to prohibit or restrict granting reconnaissance, prospecting and mining rights and permits.

The exploitation of mineral resources is a key tenet of the South African economy. However, both underground and surface mining has significant impacts on the environment including the soil, water resources, geological stability, biodiversity and air quality. All these elements are essential for human health and wellbeing, and it is therefore critical that the detrimental impacts of mining are appropriately controlled and mitigated to ensure that future livelihoods and other forms of economic activity are not compromised.

Mining also contributes both directly and indirectly to climate change, and has been identified as a key factor in developing plans for climate change adaptation and mitigation in the most recent National Climate Change Response Strategy 2010 currently out for comment. For example, some mining operations, especially large-scale open-caste mines, not only release carbon into the atmosphere but also reduce natural carbon-sequestration capacity and may also increase water stress due to water use and/or pollution.

In September 2010, national government launched the “Outcome 10 Delivery Agreement”, which recorded “The inability of the current spatial planning and land use management system to integrate mineral development has resulted in the latter occurring in areas where it permanently sterilised areas of high agricultural potential or impacted severely on sensitive and prioritised ecosystems. Mineral development priority areas should with equal standing “compete” in a spatial planning and land use management system with other policy imperatives such as biodiversity protection, food security, water security, etc. The inclusion of mineral development in the spatial planning and land use management system and identification of agreed “mining restriction areas” is accordingly an important step in doing things differently towards achieving the desired outcome.”

Areas included in the list of no-go mining zones in the proposal are:

• World Heritage Areas;
• Special nature reserves, national parks or nature reserves;
• Marine protected areas;
• Specially protected forest areas such as the Wolkberg Wilderness in Limpopo, forest nature reserves and forest wilderness areas;
• Mountain catchment areas;
• Ramsar Sites; and
• Recognised endangered and critically endangered ecosystems.

Furthermore, guidelines are provided for restricting prospecting and mining in a number of important biodiversity and hydrological areas not included in the above list.

These areas have either heritage, or environmental value which far outstrips the short-terms to be made through mining operations that may result in their destruction and demarcating them ‘no-go’ zones for mining and prospecting will ensure their protection for future generations. “This proposal is meant to assist and guide both government and mining companies to pro-actively avoid areas of the highest sensitivity and greatest environmental importance” says EWT CEO Yolan Friedmann. “It must be remembered that mining is just one form of land use and just one form of extracting benefits from the environment for human development and job creation. These areas contribute significantly to human wellbeing in a number of other critical ways which include alternative forms of employment which are often more sustainable, the provision of life-supporting ecosystem services such as water purification and food production, and the conservation of many highly threatened species. It is possible to balance both short and long-term plans and many forms of development if one plans proactively and determines strategically what is the best option for key areas. This is what we are trying to do through this proposal.”

The Endangered Wildlife Trust is not against environmentally sensitive and responsible mining, but does not support mining that destroys the environment to the detriment of our economy and livelihoods. The EWT further recognises the importance of balancing the needs of a variety of stakeholders, both present and future, in determining what areas are appropriate for mining and what areas are not. Whilst modern technology and mining processes have reduced the environmental damage resulting from some mines, and improved options for varying forms of rehabilitation, complete rehabilitation is seldom possible and mining remains a land use with significant impacts which should be avoided at all costs in our most precious environments.

The EWT is currently a member of the a coalition of civil society organisations that aims to prevent any further development of the intended opencast and underground coal mine that is to be located less than 6 km from the Mapungubwe National Park and the Mapungubwe World Heritage site. The EWT is also involved in two biodiversity conservation projects within the Chrissiesmeer Lake District, a unique pan system with a near pristine ecology, where at least five mining and prospecting applications are currently being considered. Furthermore, the EWT supports the Groot Marico community in its opposition to mining in the sensitive Groot Marico River catchment area. These areas are of particular concern to the EWT as they fall within the list of areas being put forward as no-go zones for mining, with the Mapungubwe area being a World Heritage Site and the Chrissiesmeer Lake District and Groot Marico River Catchment being proposed as Wetlands of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention. The Groot Marico Catchment area is furthermore a recognised endangered ecosystem through the National Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas, a project that is mapping freshwater priority areas for South Africa.

The EWT calls upon the Minister to recognise the proactive role that the 11 organisations are playing and ask for her assistance in preventing conflict and conserving our country. We look forward to her taking up this opportunity to engage in this critical issue.

The full list of Non-Government and Civil Society Organisations involved are:

• BirdLife South Africa
• Centre for Applied Legal Studies
• Earthlife Africa
• Endangered Wildlife Trust
• Environmental Monitoring Group
• Federation for a Sustainable Environment
• National Association of Conservancies/Stewardship of SA
• South Durban Community Environmental Alliance
• Wilderness Foundation
• Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa
• WWF South Africa

Contact: Yolan Friedmann

CEP: Endangered Wildlife Trust

Tel: +27 (0) 11 486 1102

Email: yolanf@ewt.org.za

Or

EWT media office

Tel: +27 (0)11 486 1102

Email: media@ewt.org.za