08
April 2009 - Media alert - Department of
Environmental Affairs and Tourism - WEDNESDAY,
08 APRIL 2009:The Boundless Southern Africa
(BSA) expedition will see Kingsley Holgate
of National Geographic travel through seven
Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs)
and nine countries in Southern Africa between
May and August 2009. The expedition is aimed
at raising awareness about the TFCAs as
tourist and investment destinations.
The 10 000km expedition
will cover nine countries (Angola, Botswana,
Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa,
Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe), seven Transfrontier
Parks and 30 National Parks and nature reserves.
The seven TFCAs are /Ai/Ais/Richtersveld,
Kgalagadi, Kavango-Zambezi, Limpopo-Shashe,
Great Limpopo, Lubombo and Maloti-Drakensberg.
The four month long
expedition will start at the Tourism Indaba
in Durban on 11 May 2009, and will end at
the mouth of the Orange River in the Ai/Ais/Richtersveld
Transfrontier Park in August 2009.
Boundless Southern Africa
is the consolidated brand that was launched
in May 2008 by the nine countries to raise
the profile of the seven TFCAs. (see background
information)
A media briefing has
been scheduled for Thursday, 16 April, in
Johannesburg to outline the programme of
the expedition and highlight the benefits
that will be reaped from the expedition.
Some of the benefits for communities living
in and around the parks include the handing
over of mosquito nets in malaria prone areas,
mobile libraries, soccer balls and the upgrading
of soccer fields in communities around the
Transfrontier Parks.
Media will also have
the opportunity to meet with Kingsley Holgate
of National Geographic, who will lead the
expedition as well as government officials
and sponsors.
Two Vehicles and Over
3000 Units of Abalone Confiscated, Two Arrests
- TAIWANESE VESSEL FINED HEFTY FINE OF R1.5m
06 April 2009 - Media
Statement - Department of Environmental
Affairs and Tourism - MONDAY, 06 APRIL 2009:Officials
from the Department of Environmental Affairs
and Tourism arrested a man early this morning,
Monday 6 April 2009, near Hermanus, after
more than 2000 units of abalone was found
in the vehicle he was driving. The man is
expected to appear in the Hermanus Magistrate
court later this week.
Another person was arrested
on Saturday 4 April 2009 in Hermanus after
inspectors received a tip-off from a member
of the community. A vehicle and a total
of 2474 units of abalone were confiscated.
A man is expected to appear in court today,
Monday 6 April 2009.
In a separate development
last week, the skipper of the seized Taiwanese
flagged fishing vessel the Chien Jui No
102, paid a R1,5m fine for contravening
permit conditions for foreign vessels entering
the South African exclusive economic zone.
This was the highest fine ever imposed for
such a transgression.
The confiscated shark
fin and shark trunks were also forfeited
to the state. The Chien Jui No 102 entered
the South African Exclusive Economic zone
in March this year. Inspectors confiscated
more than 1,6 tons of dried shark finsand
5.1 tons of shark trunk from the Chien Jui
No 102.. The quantity of shark fin and trunk
reported was in excess of the 15 percent
tolerance limit permitted by the permit
conditions
In addition, the permit
conditions for foreign vessels entering
the South African EEZ require such foreign
vessels to conduct fishing activities in
accordance with the management and conservation
measures of the relevant Regional Fisheries
Management Organisations, including the
International Commission for the Conservation
of Atlantic Tunas (“ICCAT”). In non-compliance
with the conditions the Chien Jui No 102
had on board approximately 1.6 tons of shark
fins without there being the appropriate
corresponding quantity of shark trunks present
on the vessel. The variance of the shark
fin to trunk ratio was more than 5 percent
in contravention of ICCAT recommendations.
Carol Moses
