Ministry of Environmental
Affairs and Tourism
For immediate release
STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO MEDIA ENQUIRIES REGARDING
THE GOVERNING PARTIES POLOKWANE RESOLUTION
ON CLIMATE CHANGE, BY MARTHINUS VAN SCHALKWYK,
MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND TOURISM,
SUNDAY 23 DECEMBER 2007
Last week in Bali, in response to the urgency
of action to combat and adapt to climate change,
South Africa played a leading role along with
other partners to get a commitment from all
countries to a Bali-roadmap for negotiations.
This has launched two years of intensive negotiations
with a view to strengthen the climate regime
beyond 2012.
It is important that this international leadership
role also extends to domestic policy and that
collectively government, business, civil society
and every citizen takes hands in the battle
against climate change.
The resolution on climate change adopted
in Polokwane by the governing party is therefore
a critical milestone that should be applauded.
As a progressive force that understands that
climate change effects poorest communities
the most, the governing party has unambiguously
signaled it resolve to seriously and urgently
address the challenge of climate change in
government. The resolution commits us to far-reaching
and decisive policy responses and strengthens
the mandate of government to take the tough
decisions that will be required.
Specific elements of the resolution that
could find application in government policy
in the short term, especially as we finalise
the long term mitigation scenario study and
governments' policy response, includes:
• To continue to pro-actively build our capacity
to adapt to the inevitable impacts of climate
change, most importantly in the roll-out of
basic services, infrastructure planning, agriculture,
biodiversity, water resource management and
in the health sector.
• To further integrate climate change considerations
with sustainable development strategies, the
science and technology agenda, integrated
energy planning, transport policy and industrial
policy. In this context to maximize the integration
of a full cost accounted economy in which
product life cycle of products is internalized
and the goal of zero waste production is pursued.
• Set a target for the reduction of greenhouse
gas emissions as part of our responsibility
to protect the environment and promote sustainable
development, and to participate in sharing
the burden with the global community under
a common framework of action.
• Support the meeting of the target through:
- Energy efficiency improvements in industry,
households and by setting vehicle fuel efficiency
standards,
- Diversifying energy sources away from coal,
including through nuclear energy and renewable
sources, especially solar power,
- Putting a price on the emission of carbon
dioxide and other green house gasses,
- Allocating significant additional resources
for the research, development and diffusion
of innovative clean and low-carbon technologies,
including by retrofitting existing technologies
and
- Further exploration and development of carbon
capture and storage methods, aware of the
challenges to environmental efficacy and cost
that these interventions entail.
Although certain processes must still be
followed to convert policy resolutions into
government policy, the climate change resolution
by the governing parties' conference is a
strong signal to the world and a commendable
step forward.
Riaan Aucamp
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DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND TOURISM
MEDIA STATEMENT
21 December 2007
For immediate release
MINISTER GAZETTES DRAFT POLICY FOR THE TRANSFER
OF COMMERCIAL FISHING RIGHTS
The Minister of Environmental Affairs and
Tourism has today, Friday 21 December 2007,
gazetted for public comment the Draft Policy
for the Transfer of Commercial Fishing Rights.
The draft policy sets out criteria and requirements
for the transfer of commercial fishing rights
in the period following the allocation of
long term fishing rights.
Since the allocation of medium term fishing
rights in 2001, the transfer of rights was
generally not favourably considered during
the first two years from the the date of allocation
as to discourage 'paper quotas'. The criteria
taken into account were the extend to which
'paper quota' holders are created or prolonged,
transformation performance and the degree
to which rational consolidation of and stability
in the fishing industry will be achieved.
The general criteria in the draft policy
includes two broad and key transformation
principles that will be considered in the
assessment of applications for transfer of
fishing rights. Firstly, whether the transfer
will lead to a consolidation of right holders
and effort in the sector, and secondly the
degree to which the black ownership of the
transferee and the black ownership of the
total allowable catch (TAC) and total allowable
effort (TAE) will change should the transfer
be approved.
The policy excludes the transfer of subsistence
and small scale commercial fishing rights,
fish processing establishment, marine aquaculture
rights or It is expected that some Right The
consolidation other non-consumptive rights
or permits, such as boat based whale watching
and white shark cage diving.
Interested and affected parties may submit
written comments to the department as follows:
Subject: Comments on Draft Policy for the
Transfer of Commercial Fishing Rights
Customer Services Centre
Private Bag x2,
Roggebaai
8012
Written comments could be hand delivered
to:
Subject: Comments on Draft Policy for the
Transfer of Commercial Fishing Rights
Customer Services Centre
Ground Floor
Foretrust Building
Martin Hammerschag Way
Foreshore
Cape Town
