Panorama
 
 
 
 

WASTE MANAGEMENT BILL AND BIODIVERSITY ACT REGULATIONS


Environmental Panorama
International
December of 2006

12 December 2006 - Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism - TUESDAY, 12 December 2006: Ms Pamela Yako, Director – General of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism today held a media briefing at the Sandton Convention Centre on several aspects of the department’s law reform process.
Programme of Presentations
The briefing focused on the Waste Management Bill and Biodiversity Act Regulations viz Threatened or Protected Species Regulations.

The legislations and regulations were approved by the cabinet on Wednesday, 06 December and Thursday, 07 December 2006 by Cabinet and the Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism with his provincial counterparts respectively. DG Presentation

THREATENED OR PROTECTED SPECIES REGULATIONS –The key objectives of the Threatened or Protected Species regulations (TOPS) are:

Establishment of a permit system for nationally listed threatened or protected species
Appointment of issuing authorities and consideration and decision of applications by issuing authorities.
Set out permits and permit conditions including circumstances in which permit application must be refused and cancellation of renewal of permits.
Registration of captive breeding operations, nurseries, scientific institutions, sanctuaries and rehabilitation facilities.
New registrations, authority responsible for registration, amendment and cancellation of registration certificate.
Implementation of CITES including Management and Scientific Authorities.
The regulations have been submitted to the State law Advisor for consideration and the aim is to promulgate in March / April 2007.
TOPS Presentation
For explanatory note click here

DRAFT REGULATIONS ON BIO – PROSPECTING, ACCESS AND BENEFIT SHARING
Over the years, there has not been a national legislation to regulate Bio-prospecting on indigenous biological resources in South Africa. The absence of such legislation has resulted in loss of rewards and benefits to local communities and loss of indigenous biological resources. The draft bio - prospecting regulations intend to provide a national framework for collaborating between users and providers of indigenous biological resources, while recognizing the traditional knowledge associated with bio – prospecting. The Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism will publish the draft regulations for comment in January 2007, for a period of two months.
For explanatory note click here.
Draft regulations on bio-prospecting, access and benefit sharing

DRAFT NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT: WASTE MANAGEMENT BILL Presentation
“The Waste Management Bill aims to reform law regulating waste management in order to protect the health and the environment by providing reasonable measures for the prevention of pollution and ecological degradation,” said Ms Yako. Cabinet has approved publication for comment on 06 December 2006. The Bill will be gazetted for public comment over a period of 90 days.
For explanatory note click here.
Draft waste management bill
Mr Blessing Manale, (Acting Chief Director: Communications)

Regulation Of Scuba Diving In Marine Protected Areas

Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism - MONDAY,11 December 2006: The Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism will in future require recreational scuba divers to obtain a permit for recreational scuba diving in four of its Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), namely Table Mountain National Park, Bird Island, Pondoland and Aliwal Shoal as exemptions for recreational scuba diving in these MPAs expire on 31 December 2006.

Declaration of the above four Marine Protected Areas as promulgated under Section 43 of the Marine Living Resources Act, Act 18 of 1998, Government Gazette No.’s 26430, 26431, 26432, 26433 published on 4 June 2004 state that:
“…no person may SCUBA dive or attempt to SCUBA dive in the Marine Protected Area except on the authority of a SCUBA diving permit” and that “...no person may operate or attempt to operate a SCUBA diving business in the Marine Protected Area except on the authority of a SCUBA diving business permit”.

Scuba diver businesses have been exempted from requiring a permit to operate within these MPA’s from 01 January 2007 until 31 December 2007 (or until an operator permit system is in place) and all affected scuba diving business operators therefore need to obtain an exemption from the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism: Marine and Coastal Management by applying via email or post to the address below. Operators must keep their exemption with them (or a certified copy) and a list of the names of all clients with them on each dive for possible inspection (on the boat, or, if shore diving, in their car).

Conditions applicable to scuba diving in the MPAs listed above will be available on the departmental website www.deat.gov.za or www.mcm-deat.gov.za , at MCM’s offices situated at 7th floor, Foretrust Building, Martin Hammerschlag Way, Cape Town, and available at certain Post Offices. Following consultation with scuba-diving representatives, the diving conditions within the MPAs have been relaxed to allow night diving in three of the MPAs under certain conditions (excluding Bird Island where scuba diving is restricted to between 08:00 and 16:00 daily). Diver propulsion vehicles and “shark sticks” may be used. For a full list of conditions, see the DEAT website. The conditions will apply from date of purchase to divers purchasing a recreational permit between 11 and 31 December 2006, apart from those relating to night diving which will only come into effect from 1 January 2007.

Recreational scuba divers can obtain the required permit from Post Offices for an annual fee of R75 and a R45 monthly fee. The permits are already available at Post Offices although it will only be required from 1 January 2007 to divers who currently have an individual exemption issued by MCM which is valid to 31 December 2006. The R75 permits will be valid for one year. Divers must keep their permit (or a certified copy of it) with them on each dive for possible inspection (on a boat, or, if shore diving, in their car).

 
 

Source: South African Environmental (http://www.environment.gov.za)
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