04
June 2009 - Media Statement - Department
of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
THURSDAY, 04 JUNE 2009:
South Africa tomorrow joins other nations
of the world in the call for action to combat
climate change as we celebrate World Environment
Day (WED) on 05 June 2009.
Relating her message
to the international theme, “Your Planet
Needs You! Unite to combat climate change,”
Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs,
Ms Buyelwa Sonjica has emphasized the important
role that all South Africans have in addressing
climate change adding that communities play
a pivotal role in changing attitudes towards
the environment.
Minister Sonjica said,
“We need to raise and enhance awareness
around climate change so that the climate
change message could become accessible to
all citizens especially the poor who are
also the most vulnerable to this phenomenon.
They are the ones at the coalface and are
at the receiving end thereof. We need to
demystify the concept to the point where
those of our community living in the rural
and depressed areas of our country understand
and embrace the message that we communicate.”
This year’s World Environment
Day celebrations take place immediately
after the conclusion of the special session
of the African Ministers Conference on the
Environment (AMCEN) in Nairobi under the
chairpersonship of Minister Sonjica, where
it was highlighted that the priority of
African countries is to implement climate
change programmes in a way that helps achieve
sustainable development, particularly with
emphasis on alleviating poverty and attaining
the Millennium Development Goals. All of
this will be with focus on the most vulnerable
such as women and children who bear the
brunt of the impact today.
Minister Sonjica’s political
will was demonstrated when she and thirty
of her African colleagues, adopted the Nairobi
Declaration at the same Special session
of AMCEN mentioned above. The Declaration
highlights major challenges and opportunities
in the negotiations for a more equitable
climate regime. The Declaration provides
African countries with a platform to make
a strong case for support at Copenhagen
2009.
The urgency of addressing
climate change and the commitment from South
Africa is also echoed in the national theme
for Environment month - “SA Act Now! Combat
Climate Change.” The celebrations are intended
to encourage all South Africans to actively
participate in the environmental programmes.
We call on civil society and all relevant
stakeholders to continue to be our partners
in ensuring that as a country we act together.
We need to together ensure sustainable and
equitable living, with active partnerships
in the promotion of awareness on the issue.
World Environment Day
takes place at a time when South Africa
is drafting the policy framework for climate
change, following the Climate Change Summit
in March this year. The March 2009 Climate
Change Summit laid the foundation for a
participatory process that will culminate
in a Policy White Paper on Climate Change
by 2010, and the translation of this policy
into a legislative and regulatory fiscal
package by 2012.
Environment Month is
an annual feature on the South African calendar
and sees celebrations by national, provincial
and local government as well as various
stakeholders taking place across the country.
A range of activities such as conferences,
awareness campaigns, information sessions,
tree planting and workshops are scheduled
to be conducted during June in celebration
of Environment month.
For further information
on Environment Month and the activities
scheduled across the country visit www.environment.gov.za
or contact our call centre on 086 111 2468
NOTES ABOUT THE WORLD
ENVIRONMENT DAY (WED)
WED was established
by the United Nations General Assembly in
1972 to mark the opening of the Stockholm
Conference on the Human Environment.
Commemorated every year
on 5 June in more than 100 countries around
the globe, World Environment Day is one
of the principal vehicles through which
the United Nations stimulates worldwide
awareness of the environment and boosts
political attention and action.
With thousands of events
in UNEP's six global regions including North
America, Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin
America and the Caribbean and West Asia,
World Environment Day is considered one
of the largest environmental events of its
kind.
For further information
visit www.unep.org.
Media enquiries can
be directed to:
Albi Modise (Chief Director Communications
- Department of Environmental Affairs and
Tourism ) |
Kgomotso Mokgoko
+ More
Tourism Minister Welcomes
Gazetting of Tourism BB-BEE Codes
27 May 2009 - Media
Statement
MINISTRY OF TOURISM
WEDNESDAY, 27 MAY 2009:
The Minister of Environmental Affairs and
Tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, has welcomed
the gazetting of the tourism sector code
as a milestone in the process of achieving
Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) in the
tourism industry.
He said the code, which was gazetted on
22 May 2009, will help clarify any uncertainty
around BEE targets in tourism and pave the
way for real, measurable transformation
in the sector.
The gazetting follows
a yearlong process of alignment between
the Tourism BEE Charter and Government’s
Codes of Good Practice, which had left the
industry with a number of questions related
to transformation targets and reporting
mechanisms.
Minister van Schalkwyk
said the fundamental difference between
the sector code and Government’s proposed
minimum codes is that the sector code makes
provision, in the first five years of reporting,
for a greater focus on human factor elements,
namely skills development, strategic representation,
employment equity and enterprise development.
“This approach was adopted in recognition
of the fact that tourism is a people-driven
industry,” the Minister said.
A second important point
is that the Exempt Micro Enterprise threshold
for the tourism sector has, after a review
of inputs from the comment period in 2008,
been set at R2.5 million in turnover per
annum. This step will ensure that all significant
stakeholders participate actively in the
process of transformation, according to
Minister van Schalkwyk.
Thirdly, two industry
specific indicators have been added which
relate to the ability of the industry to
create jobs and to market South Africa as
a preferred tourism destination.
The two indicators are:
The recruitment of employees
with no prior experience, and
The status of the tourism enterprise as
a TOMSA (Tourism Marketing Levy for SA)
levy collector.
Minister Van Schalkwyk said the Tourism
Empowerment Council of South Africa (TECSA)
– formerly the Tourism BEE Charter Council
– is now in a position to drive transformation
in tourism from a solid foundation and give
accurate information that will not be subject
to change. “We will now be able to send
out clear messages about BEE in tourism,
with specific targets for businesses of
any size, timeframes as well as reporting
mechanisms.
“While TECSA is not
a policing body, as a transformation partner
and enabler it will now be in position to
work hand-in-hand with the private sector
to help grow this industry and maximise
its potential for job creation and foreign
exchange earnings,” Minister van Schalkwyk
said.
TECSA CEO Ms Beulah
Mosupye pointed out that TECSA already has
a number of projects in place that can now
be implemented without delay. These include
the BEE Self-Assessment tool; Black Talent,
a project aimed at finding suitable people
for available positions in tourism; a specific
drive to find empowerment partners for companies
and awards for BEE achievers in tourism.
“TECSA also looks forward
to forging links with reputable, registered
BEE verification agencies to facilitate
industry transformation. We will strive
to make the transformation process smooth
and simple for companies that embark on
empowerment programmes at all levels,” added
Ms Mosupye.
The final sector code
essentially provides for transformation
in seven areas of business, namely ownership,
strategic representation, employment equity,
skills development, preferential procurement,
enterprise development and social development.
Each of these indicators
will be measured proportionally to a company’s
compliance in that area.
For more information contact:
Bulelani Silangwe
Tourism Empowerment Council of South Africa
+ More
WORLD OCEANS DAY AND
INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE SHARK COMMEMORATED
IN GANSBAAI, WESTERN CAPE
08 April 2009 - Media
Statement
Department of Environmental Affairs and
Tourism
MONDAY, 08 JUNE 2009:The conservation of
sharks came under the spotlight today, 08
June 2009 as South Africa celebrated World
Oceans Day under the theme, “One Ocean,
One Climate, One Future,” in Gansbaai, Western
Cape. South Africa’s commitment to shark
conservation is evident by SA being the
first country to provide protected status
for the great white shark species in1991.
The seriousness with which South Africa
views the threats facing sharks is demonstrated
by South Africa making clear its intention
to terminate the pelagic shark fishery.
The theme, “One Ocean,
One Climate, One Future,” is apt as it highlights
that the ocean can never be separated from
the fight to combat climate change. Climate
change is also the focus of National Environment
month proceedings. The theme is pertinent
as it emphasizes the critical role of the
ocean in maintaining the Earth’s climate
and reminds us that ocean life is vulnerable
to climate change. A healthy ocean is vital
as it helps absorb excess carbon dioxide,
provides jobs and food to people the world
over.
2009 has also been declared
International Year of the Shark in a move
meant to raise global l awareness about
sharks and the threat of extinction faced
by certain species. Sharks are regarded
as one of the oceans most magnificent, oldest
and probably most misunderstood of marine
creatures. Sharks play a vital role as apex
predators in balancing the marine ecosystem.
In terms of South Africa’s
intention to terminate the pelagic shark
fishery, no further rights were subsequently
allocated for this fishery in 2005. The
fishery is in its final phase of termination
with seven companies currently operating
under exemption.
Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs,
Buyelwa Sonjica said, “the intention this
year is that the exemptions holders will
be allocated fishing rights in the swordfish
and tuna longline fishery where pelagic
sharks will be managed as a bycatch species.
The number of rights holders in the demersal
shark longline fishery has also been drastically
reduced to only six right holders as a precautionary
measure, and further reductions will be
determined based on the stock status of
the directed species”.
Minister Sonjica emphasised
that already South Africa had taken a lead
in being the first country globally to provide
protected status for the great white shark
in 1991, which has resulted in increased
nature-based tourism or ecotourism and contributing
at least R50m per year through the shark
cage diving industry. Proposals are also
being made that the Great White Sharks should
be marketed as part of the Big Seven she
said referring to the big five with two
marine animals, sharks and whales being
included.
Focusing on the country’s
research efforts Sonjica added that as South
Africa we have progressed in our understanding
of the importance of sharks and for several
years we have committed to study these animals
both for improving our understanding of
their often secretive behaviour and for
understanding our marine ecosystems. Sharks
are top predators and feed at the top of
food chains. By monitoring their condition
individually and at the population level,
we can create a health index of the layers
below them that they feed on.
As part of the celebratory
activities media were also taken shark cage
diving where they experienced these magnificent
creatures up close. Media were also shown
how the tagging of sharks is conducted for
research purposes aimed at collecting further
data on these secretive sea creatures.
In 1997 the Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United
Nations (UN) developed an International
Plan of Action for the conservation and
management of sharks (IPOA-sharks). The
IPOA-sharks is a voluntary instrument that
was elaborated within the framework of the
FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fishers,
to which South Africa is a signatory. The
IPOA-sharks encourages all states to draft
national plans that would ensure the conservation
and management of sharks and their long-term
sustainable use (NPOA-sharks). South Africa
is in the process of finalizing the NPOA-sharks.
BACKGROUND ON WORLD
OCEANS DAY
The concept for World
Oceans Day was proposed in 1992 by the Government
of Canada at the Earth Summit in Rio de
Janeiro and it had been celebrated every
year on June 8 since then, and subsequently
officially been declared by the United Nations
which marked a significant step in conserving
and protecting our world's ocean. World
Oceans Day provides an opportunity each
year to celebrate our world ocean and people’s
connection to the sea
WHY SHOULD WE CELEBRATE
WORLD OCEANS DAY?
The world's ocean:
Generates most of the
oxygen we breathe
Helps feed us
Regulates our climate
Cleans the water we drink
Global trade is dominated be sea transport
Offers us a pharmacopoeia of potential medicines
Provides limitless inspiration!
Yet for too long, human society has taken
the world's ocean for granted.
INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF
THE SHARK
Recent findings of the
Global Shark Assessment indicate that at
current rates of decline, extinction of
the most threatened species of shark is
forecast in 10 to 15 years. In large regions,
species that were once numerous have fallen
to 1% of their original numbers, in a massacre
comparable to that of the buffalo on the
North American plains 200 years ago, but
on a much larger scale. For example, in
the Mediterranean Sea there is a 97 to 99.5%
decline in shark numbers.
The threats sharks face
in this modern world of human domination
are daunting. The enormous scale of commercial
longline fishing and bycatch, the methodical
massacre for shark fin soup, habitat loss
and destruction, particularly of nursery
areas, pollution, and a variety of smaller
operations that have great impact taken
together, are the main threats to the future
of sharks.
For media enquiries
to:
Albi Modise (Chief Director Communications)
