South Africa is leading efforts to surround the great island of Africa with safer and healthier seas.

[Lisbeth]

By Timothy Walker

What happens on and in the oceans can be mysterious. Shipping can be a secretive and paradoxical industry and many are “sea-blind” to our dependency upon it. The surface of the moon is better mapped than our ocean floors.

To change how we visualise and value the oceans, we could look at Nasa’s famous 1972 Blue Marble image… upside down. The Apollo 17 astronauts actually snapped the picture this way, from what we would consider an unconventional vantage point. Our familiar world appeared the wrong way around to them, thanks to the orientation of their spacecraft.

The photo, usually reversed when published, enables us to appreciate the sheer blue power and presence of the oceans. Africa is now not simply the second biggest continent, it is one of Earth’s great islands. Its shape and nature is determined by the huge surrounding oceans.

World Oceans Day, celebrated on 8 June, reminds us that healthy oceans are fundamental to life on Earth. We should be doing more to avoid further harm to them, such as by preventing plastic pollution – the theme for 2018 and of World Environment Day, which was on 5 June.

Jumping forward from 1972 to World Oceans Day 2018, there is still something missing. Despite lying at the heart of the Blue Marble, African countries don’t play a big enough role in ensuring the sustainable governance, development and protection of the oceans.

South Africa is championing and implementing ocean policies that aim to do just that. A forthcoming Institute for Security Studies report explores some of the challenges the country is facing in achieving this.

South Africa only recently decided to prioritise ocean and maritime policies – partly for economic gain, and partly because of maritime security threats.

For example, as part of Operation Phakisa in 2014, it launched an oceans economy project in response to criticisms that implementation of its National Development Plan was too slow. Phakisa is intended to quicken the delivery of projects that contribute to national development and economic growth.

The National Development Plan failed to discuss ways in which an oceans economy could contribute to achieving development goals and reduce the ‘triple threats’ of high levels of inequality, poverty and unemployment. However, it did recommend a reappraisal of the maritime sector to determine the impact its growth could have on South Africa’s economy.

The government launched Phakisa with impressive forecasts derived from this reappraisal. It suggested Phakisa would result in a GDP contribution of between R129-billion and R177-billion and the creation of up to a million jobs by 2033. But the results of the Operation Phakisa oceans economy project have been modest, and the report shows that its 2033 targets might not be achieved and will need reviewing.

The project cannot presently be considered the comprehensive or integrated maritime approach that South Africa needs. For instance, it doesn’t promote renewable energy and hinges instead on creating an oil and gas sector that will extract non-renewable marine resources. Future policy making must take this and other issues like the future of fishing into account.

The oceans mustn’t be looked at for their economic value alone – and more marine protected areas should be encouraged and declared. These areas are key to sustaining ocean health, and South Africa aims to expand their coverage to 20% of its exclusive economic zone by 2028 under its National Protected Areas Expansion Strategy.

South Africa’s unique and strategically important geographic location (it is surrounded by three oceans – the Atlantic, Indian and Southern) presents it with a complicated set of maritime security challenges.

About 80 to 95% of all South African trade has a maritime element. Any disruption to shipping in the Indian Ocean, such as the spread of piracy from Somalia, would be a costly threat to both South African trade and that of inland countries that depend on South African infrastructure. An erosion of South Africa’s naval and maritime security capacity is curtailing its ability to act against maritime criminals and enhance good ocean governance.

A key recommendation of government’s report is to better pursue the fifth initiative of Phakisa’s Marine Protection Services and Governance Lab. This advocates an integrated enforcement mechanism comprising all of South Africa’s capacity to produce the holistic approach needed to protect the oceans. Several government departments own ocean-going platforms, enforce South African laws at sea and have conducted operations with neighbouring states to guard their own marine resources.

The final piece of South Africa’s approach takes us back to the new view of Africa – creating greater co-ordination of everyone on and around the great island. Therein lies a problem – Africa is presently almost too big and disconnected from the seas. It needs platforms where like-minded states and stakeholders can jointly pursue maritime goals.

South Africa’s chairing of the Indian Ocean Rim Association until September 2019 offers an opportunity to provide a forum for African states of the Indian Ocean to elevate an African maritime agenda. South Africa also looks to encourage progress at the African Union level. This will require it to strengthen the implementation of continental maritime initiatives.

World Ocean Day is a call to action. It isn’t just about sustainably deriving more wealth from the oceans or defeating piracy. The efforts of countries like South Africa to surround the great island of Africa with safer and healthier seas are ultimately good for the whole world. DM

Timothy Walker is a Senior Researcher, Peace Operations and Peace Building, ISS Pretoria

Source

[Richprins]

South Africa shamelessly allows China to rape our spawning and fishing grounds with impunity!

[Lisbeth]

The seas around South Africa have been "over fished" for decades and not only by the Chinese.

[Lisbeth]

How to clean up oceans

Joint effort needed to beat pollution of the sea crisis
BY ODETTE PARFITT - 08 August 2018


Africa is the second worst continent when it comes to marine pollution. Image: www.pixabay.com

It will take a concerted effort by businesses, civil society, educators and the government to solve the widespread problem of marine pollution in Nelson Mandela Bay.

This was the consensus on the second day of the waste enterprise development conference held by the Sustainable Seas Trust and the Nelson Mandela University business school on Tuesday.

The conference, supported by the Norwegian embassy, forms part of a series of workshops held by the trust to examine various aspects of marine pollution.

In conjunction with the workshops and research, the trust’s chief executive, Tony Ribbink, said the idea was to use the Bay as a proof of concept for an approach that could be used to clean up regions across Africa.

“This is the first step in a journey we’re starting and we need to do it together across all sectors,” Ribbink said.

“In terms of pollution, this is the second-worst continent.

“The prediction is that we will be the worst by 2050, and our goal is to turn that around by 2035, with Port Elizabeth being the cleanest city in Africa by 2021 – and that means cleanest [in every aspect], not just the marine environment.”

Ribbink said the trust was engaging with the Norwegian government on their mutual goal of reducing marine waste.

“They are committing a lot of money to healthy oceans – of which stopping waste is a huge component – and they are looking towards South Africa to help achieve that goal.”

Speakers at the conference said this goal could only be reached through collaboration between all stakeholders.

Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa environmental manager Ntsako Baloyi said: “As a company we thrive on partnerships.

“There’s a lot of work to be done, but you can’t do it on your own. Let’s see how we can support each other.”

Baloyi also encouraged the government to step in and ensure that plastic materials are recyclable.

“We need government to come into play and maybe help to legislate [to that effect].

“Some other countries only use recyclable plastic, but as a country we aren’t there yet.”

Meanwhile, the Rev Keketso Bloem, of the Uitenhage Ministers Fraternity, said faith-based organisations had a responsibility to join the battle against marine waste.

“I believe as a collective we can solve the issue of waste disposal.

“I encourage those who are informed to speak to their ministers, because the church should be a platform for sharing information, not just for sharing the Word of God.”

Sharing information from this platform, a member of the audience said, would be the first step towards a new activism.

“We were taught growing up that cleanliness is next to godliness,” she said.

“These are bread-and-butter issues.

“I was shocked to hear [on Monday] that 80% of the ocean pollution is caused by land pollution. As we clean our spaces [on land], that is [the issue] we are solving.”

[Lisbeth]

#OnlyThisMuch: SA announces 5% ocean protection, up from 0.4%

2018-10-29 06:30 - Selene Brophy



There is a global celebration as South Africa has approved 20 new and expanded Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), bringing the total protection of the oceans around South Africa up to 5% (from 0.4%).

This is a massive win for marine conservation in African waters, with the Department of Environmental Affairs confirming the bold action, initially spearheaded by the late Minister Edna Molewa, to declare a network of 22 new/expanded MPAs covering at least 5% of the nation’s mainland.

“We congratulate President Ramaphosa and his government for taking this bold step to underwrite the health of our oceans. It is a tribute to the visionary leadership of the late Minister Edna Molewa and her team who have worked so hard to achieve this important outcome,” says Dr Jean Harris of Wild Oceans.

In June this year, it was revealed that only 0.4% of South Africa's ocean regions were being protected, with great cause for concern. Following a World Oceans Day event hosted by Wildoceans and the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) on 8 June at Ushaka Marine World, a coalition of organisations was launched with the aim of advancing greater protection of South Africa’s oceans.

But with the new move declared by the cabinet, South Africa is on track to meet its international obligation to protect 10% by 2020, and the scientifically recommended 30% by 2030.

"Critically, it will safeguard marine resources for the benefit of all South Africans," says Harris.

However, the “Only This Much”, which seeks to mobilise a regional movement for increased protection across all African national waters and Africa’s Southern Ocean territories, remains determined to see "10% MPAs by 2020 and 30% of the oceans around South Africa strongly protected by 2030".

“This development is a massive first step towards greater protection and South Africa have now established themselves as an ocean leader in Africa,” says Karen Sack, Managing Director at Ocean Unite.

Youth Ambassador for the ‘Only This Much’ campaign, Ruth Mthembu says, “I would like to thank the Department of Environmental Affairs and government for putting marine protection first, not only is this wonderful news for South Africans but for the generations to come – as this is the ocean they will inherit.”

What is a marine protected area (MPA), and should we care about the ones in South Africa?

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), an MPA is, “a clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values.”

MPAs are key tools in an integrated ocean management toolbox required to address the multi-faceted and complex challenges facing our oceans, and to build long-term social, ecological and economic resilience, says Wild Oceans

"They are important means of reducing ocean risk from human impacts and providing long-term insurance against short-term threats. They provide refuges for threatened species, allow damaged ecosystems to recover and help rebuild collapsed fish stocks. They offer direct economic and social benefits to people, as well as climate mitigation services."

South Africa initially only had 19 MPAs, divided into three kinds of zones:

Restricted: These are 'no-take' areas where any harvesting of marine life is prohibited.
Controlled: These are certain areas where you are allowed to fish and take from the ocean, but only with a valid permit that has certain restrictions on it.
Mixed: These areas have both restricted and controlled sections, which normally makes concessions to nearby communities.

How to keep protecting our oceans?

- Join the “Only This Much” campaign and spread awareness.
- Make ethical and sustainable seafood choices - follow WWF SASSI to check.
- Stop buying and using plastic products. Reuse old plastic bags when shopping and invest in reusable straws.
- Don't buy items that exploit marine life.
- Get involved in a beach clean-up, and pick up litter whenever you see any along the coast. Read here for more information.
- Visit Aquariums to increase your love and knowledge of marine life.