07 May 2009 - Media Statement
- Department of Environmental Affairs and
Tourism - THURSDAY, 07 MAY 2009: On Friday
8 May 2009 the Minister of Environmental
Affairs and Tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk,
will gazette a proposal to create one of
the largest Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)
in the world around the Prince Edward Islands
The MPA located in the Southern Ocean, will
also be South Africa’s
first “Offshore MPA”. The gazetting of the
proposal followed a five-year process during
which a scientific plan and a draft management
plan were developed in collaboration with
other role-players.
The objectives of the
MPA are:
to contribute to a national
and global system of protected areas
to provide scientific reference points for
research
to contribute to the ecologically sustainable
management of marine resources, and
to reduce ecological impacts of fisheries,
particularly on endangered seabirds
The proposal is in line with South Africa’s
new “National Protected Area Expansion Strategy”
which seeks to structure the way in which
protected areas are declared to maximise
benefits. This strategy drew attention to
South Africa’s lack of offshore protected
areas-, and put forward the Prince Edward
Islands as a priority area.
The financial obligations
of ensuring proper management were looked
at in detail in order to reach a satisfactory
accommodation regarding funding commitments.
Thus the proposal involves accepting that
funding should not be diverted away from
protection and research in our coastal waters,
-and that government funding for the management
of the MPA would be constrained to current
levels in terms of compliance and research.
This means increased reliance on support
from stakeholders as well as other countries
through international agreements. Given
the enhanced protection status of the area,
transgressions by vessels fishing illegally
could be dealt with even more firmly than
in the past, acting as a strong deterrent
for such activities.
The structure of the
proposed MPA reflects its multiple objectives.
Firstly there is a 12 nautical mile (22.2
km) Sanctuary Area around the islands, where
all activities are strictly controlled and
no fishing is allowed. Secondly there are
4 Restricted Areas, in 3 of which very limited
fishing is allowed, including for the purpose
of scientifically monitoring the stocks
of Patagonian Tooth-fish. The level of this
fishing in these areas will be reviewed
in the future however, in terms of an adaptive
management approach, which is also new to
MPA regulation in SA. In the Controlled
Areas, which comprise the rest of the MPA,
fishing will be allowed with certain gear
types only, excluding bottom trawling for
example. All fishing vessels will have observers
on board (as per current arrangement) to
ensure that the regulatory measures are
respected, including the new mitigation
measures to protect seabirds.
Comments on the Prince
Edward Islands MPA as proposed in the gazette
will be received until 16h00 on 6 July 2009.
Albi Modise (Chief Director Communications
- Department of Environmental Affairs and
Tourism )
+ More
BSA Expedition to Market
Tourism and Investment Opportunities in
Southern Africa (SADC) Departs from Tourism
Indaba
06 May 2009 - Media
Invitation - Department of Environmental
Affairs and Tourism - WEDNESDAY, 06 MAY
2009:The Boundless Southern Africa Expedition
through the nine SADC countries and seven
Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCA)
will depart from the National Tourism Indaba
in Durban on Monday, 11 May 2009. The four
month long expedition will be led by Kingsley
Holgate of National Geographic between May
and August 2009 and will raise awareness
about the TFCAs as tourist and investment
destinations.
The 10 000km expedition
will cover the nine countries (Angola, Botswana,
Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa,
Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe), seven Transfrontier
Parks and 30 National Parks and Nature reserves.
It will end at the mouth of the Orange River
in the Ai/Ais/Richtersveld in August 2009.
The seven TFCAs are
/Ai/Ais/Richtersveld, Kgalagadi, Kavango-Zambezi,
Limpopo-Shashe, Great Limpopo, Lubombo and
Maloti-Drakensberg.
In 2005, the Ministers
of Tourism of the nine SADC Countries of
Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia,
South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe,
endorsed a TFCA Development Strategy for
2010 and beyond. The strategy’s main objective
is to increase the tourism potential of
Southern Africa by consolidating marketing,
infrastructure development and investment
promotion efforts of the Transfrontier Conservation
Areas (TFCA) initiatives.
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.
A media briefing has
been scheduled for Monday, 11 May 2009 at
the Hilton Hotel in Durban to outline the
programme of the expedition and the benefits
that will be reaped by communities living
in and around the parks. Some of the benefits
include the handing over of mosquito nets
in malaria prone areas, mobile libraries
and upgrading of soccer fields. In attendance
will be amongst others expedition leader
Kingsley Holgate, former South African football
Star and Ambassador for the 2010 Soccer
World Cup, Lucas Radebe, government officials
and sponsors.
+ More
DEAT Launches National
Youth Service Pilot Project In Gauteng
08 May 2009 - Media
Statement - Department of Environmental
Affairs and Tourism - WEDNESDAY, 08 MAY
2009: The Department of Environmental Affairs
and Tourism (DEAT) today launched its National
Youth Service Programme pilot project at
Library Gardens in Johannesburg.
“Two hundred unemployed
youth between the ages of 16 and 35 from
around Gauteng were sworn into a year of
full time service today. In Gauteng, the
project will be conducted through City Year
South Africa,” said DEAT Spokesperson Mr
Albi Modise.
The Gauteng programme
is one of three pilot projects that DEAT
has embarked on. The other two pilots are
located in the Western Cape.
DEAT will invest R25
million in these National Youth Service
Programme projects over a period of 3 years.
The project will also
be implemented at ten schools based in Soweto,
Johannesburg inner city, Ennerdale/ Orange
Farm/ Lenasia and Johannesburg South.
“The youth are being
prepared to serve their communities through
a Service programme; school and community-based
environmentally focused placements that
support learners and communities in and
around Gauteng,” said Ms Nomhle Nkumbi-Ndopu,
Executive Director of City Year
The youth will be working
in environmentally focused service delivery
projects. The projects that they will be
involved in include the establishment of
school and community gardens, establishment
of school recycling projects, water saving
awareness drives, beautification and energy
awareness campaigns.
In keeping with the
government’s National Youth Service Programme
(NYS), the project intends to engage South
African youth in community service activities
in order to strengthen service delivery,
promote nation building and foster social
cohesion. The programme is aimed at assisting
youth to gain occupational skills to access
sustainable livelihood opportunities.
NYS seeks to give further
meaning to the Constitutional principle
of citizens’ rights and responsibilities.
It offers youth an opportunity to express
their civic responsibilities in a structured
manner.
The project will also
include structured learning and individual
development for the youth. The youth involved
in the project will receive a stipend to
cover their transport and basic necessities.
Ms Kgomotso Mokgoko
