Category: 2018

South Africa currently has a network of 23 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) covering only 0.4 % of the oceans around South Africa. This is far short of the global target of at least 10% protection of the oceans by 2020 – to which South Africa has committed to as a member of the United Nations. In 2014, as a first step towards reaching this target, the President announced that 5% protection would be achieved by 2016 through establishment of an expanded network of MPAs, and also that another 5% of ocean space needing protection would be identified by 2018.

Accordingly, in February 2016 the Minister of Environmental Affairs Edna Molewa published the intention to declare a representative network of 21 new, expanded MPAs and invited the public and key stakeholders to comment. These areas were identified as important to support fisheries recovery and productivity, to protect fragile and sensitive habitats and endangered species, to help combat climate change, and to ensure resilient and healthy oceans that can support coastal communities and a sustainable blue economy into the future.

Unfortunately, over 2 years later stakeholders have had no feedback from the Department of Environment Affairs about when the MPAs will be declared. There have also been concerns raised that the delay may be linked to the fact that by 2014 the Petroleum Agency of South Africa (PASA) had already leased about 95% of our oceans to large companies for oil and gas exploration.

“Offshore drilling will potentially produce petroleum along with a host of other environmentally harmful substances including arsenic, nickel, copper, chromium, zinc and barium. Heavy metals and hydrocarbons can be devastating for the health of marine organisms and to the people who live and feed off the coast,” commented Dr Jennifer Olbers, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, during a presentation on the potential impacts of the offshore oil & gas industry.

The bulk of our electricity and energy is generated from fossil fuels. Under the ocean floor, fossil fuels can occur as oil or gas. Drilling into these areas tap into these resources by use of a ‘drilling rig.’

“Drilling into the sea floor as part of oil exploration produces intense vibrations which have a negative impact on marine life living on or near the sea floor, the production phase is also associated with chronic disturbance” said WILDOCEANS’ Khalid Mather. “Another major environmental concern is linked to the disposal of highly toxic production waste caused by the hydrocarbon drilling. Small oil leaks usually occur during the production and transport of crude oil and pollutes the waters surrounding the rig.”

Seismic Surveys

Oil and gas reserves are hidden deep under the sea floor in cavities in the bedrock known as traps. Geologists (normally hired by mining conglomerates) can use various methods to locate these deposits and traps. One of these methods is seismic surveying.

Marine seismic surveying involves directing high powered sound waves, in the form of an acute, high intensity noise via an airgun towards the sea floor. The returning sound waves are read by sensors attached to streamers which are trailed up to 12 nautical miles behind the vessel, interpreting the patterns which bounce back as changes in geological formations and structures. The sounds are blasted at 10 second intervals which can travel over 4000 kilometres and can be ongoing for up to 24 hours a day, months at a time.

Seismic surveys have been proven to cause hearing impairment (temporary or permanent), physiological changes (such as stress responses) and tissue damage to marine life; and in some extreme cases even death.

In addition to the potential economic risks of off-shore mineral exploration is the issue of large scale environmental decimation. Unlike on land, factors like the waves and whales cannot be kept out of the mineral exploration area with a fence.

A catastrophic oil spill pollutes tens of thousands of kilometres in a very short space of time as the oil is carried by currents. Oil and water do not mix but it is simplistic to say that it sits on the surface only as an oil slick – offshore oil from leaks and spills is found throughout the water column. Crude oil is toxic, coating marine life such as seabirds, seals and turtles in a thick lethal substance. Methods used to reduce the severity of an oil spill, such as chemical dispersants are also known to have detrimental environmental impacts, persisting in the environment for years after a spill.

Sediment Mining

The sediments on the ocean floor contain minerals that are valuable for a number of applications, these include titanium, phosphates and diamonds. Extraction of these minerals (sediment mining) involves scraping the sea floor as well as digging up and filtering the sediments. This causes significant damage to the sensitive seabed environment, destroys the habitats of organisms living on the seafloor and disturbs mobile species (fish, mammals, birds) that depend on these habitats for food and shelter.

Coastal Communities

Janet Solomon of ‘Oceans Not Oils’ warns: “We must remember there has never been an effective mechanical recovery of a large marine oil spill. We must shift impacts to marine biodiversity and coastal communities from the margin of the off-shore oil and gas conversation and move it to the centre. Leaks are par for the course for offshore mining, and history shows us that oil and gas corporations only attend to these when they start to lose profits. Considering the high risk of pollution and disaster in one of the strongest currents in the world, plus the scant employment opportunities that offshore oil and gas industry offers South Africans (Sasol admitted in April that only 6 locals will be employed when they begin drilling operations for the platforms off the Durban and Zululand Basins, dispelling the myth of large scale local job creation and poverty alleviation that oil & gas claims), the market, legislative and governance uncertainties and lack of public participation within this sector, and the economic importance of our fisheries, leisure and tourism industries dependent on functional healthy oceans, we must question the logic of extracting a fuel that produces further climate change acceleration.”

How can I help?

Join the “Only This Much” campaign and spread awareness in your community: (www.onlythismuch.co.za)

https://www.facebook.com/OnlyThisMuchSA/

https://twitter.com/OnlythismuchSA

https://www.instagram.com/onlythismuchsa/

Avaaz Petition: https://tinyurl.com/anti-oilpetition

Community Meetings (Hosted by SDCEA: South Durban Community Environmental Alliance) opposing Oil & Gas/ Ocean Advocacy and opportunity to comment on the Marine Spatial Planning Bill:

21 August 2018  Tuesday: Margate Town Hall

27 August 2018  Durban, Diakonia Center.

28 August 2018  Richards Bay (venue to be confirmed)

Contact: Sherelee – South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA)

Sherelee@sdceango.co.za

Become an “Oceans not Oil” Member – https://becomingvisible.africa/contact/ or email info@oceansnotoil.com

“Oceans not Oil” Petition – SIGN UP HERE https://www.change.org/p/insist-the-dea-challenges-seismic-surveying-of-our-coastline

The nightly ritual of turtles emerging on the shores of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a World Heritage Site, to lay their eggs first caught the attention of scientists in the 1960s along the KwaZulu-Natal coast. While this had been an extraordinary experience to witness over the years the critically endangered Leatherback and threatened Loggerhead turtle populations began to decline.

It soon became evident that these animals were being killed for their meat, and their eggs were taken illegally by local communities living along the coast. To advance the much-needed protection of the nesting turtles, the Ezemvelo Turtle Monitoring Programme was initiated. To tackle the decline in the nesting turtles’ population, the programme’s aim was, and still is, to turn the poachers into custodians.

The programme has seen significant job creation within the coastal communities and created a sense of ownership for the wildlife and the environment along the coastline. To date, due to the initiation of the turtle monitoring programme, the Loggerhead turtles have experienced a significant increase in numbers, while the nesting Leatherback turtle population is stabilising. There are approximately only 80 nesting Leatherback and 935 Loggerhead turtles that visit our shores annually. The continuation of this programme is necessary as it is their only chance of survival. Turtles play an important role in maintaining the health of the world’s oceans. Their roles range from maintaining productive coral reef systems, to transporting essential nutrients from the oceans to beaches and coastal dunes. As the turtle population declines, so does the ability to fulfil vital functions in ocean ecosystems.

“This programme is not only crucial for the survival of the Loggerhead and Leatherback Turtle populations, but also very important for the local communities who are truly invested in it. A programme such as this does not only create jobs, it also creates custodians of nature and wildlife, ambassadors that truly believe in the conservation and protection of unique, biodiverse areas such as the iSimangaliso Wetland Park,” commented Lauren van Nijkerk of the WILDTRUST.

To keep this programme running, WILDOCEANS, a programme of WILDTRUST, has launched a crowdfunding campaign in partnership with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and DIFFERENT.ORG. The goal is to raise R300 000 for the programme by the end of December 2018. To donate, spread the word and make a difference, simply click on the following link: https://different.org/projects/wildlands-conservation-trust/safeguarding-and-monitoring-turtles/.

“We’re excited to be partnering with WILDTRUST for this hugely impactful programme that seeks to conserve and protect vulnerable turtle populations while involving the local community in this process in a sustainable, meaningful way,” commented Simone Gregor, Head of DIFFERENT.ORG.

DIFFERENT.ORG is a reputable online crowdfunding philanthropy platform funding projects in South Africa. You can rest assured knowing that there are no monthly subscriptions, no commission on donations and no credit card fees. This ensures that every cent goes to the Turtle Monitoring and Safeguarding Programme, to maximise impact.

A total of 64kg of pre-loved clothing was donated to Gezubuso Projects recently, through the WILDLANDS Clothes for Life initiative. Gezubuso Projects was established in 2004, with their primary aim being to work in the rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal, teaching men, women and the youth about HIV and AIDS.

The clothing is primarily used to barter indigenous trees grown by Tree-preneurs in under-resourced communities, who then sell the clothes to generate an income for their families. The WILDLANDS Clothes for Life drive was made possible by Makro and Nedbank.

Comrades 2018 has been another successful campaign for WILDLANDS as the fundraisers went above and beyond their call of duty raising over R 500 000, which is R 200 000 more than what was raised in 2017. This was a record-breaking year for Comrades Amabeadibeadie charities combined, as the overall funds raised stood at a staggering R 5 000 000, which is R 2 000 000 more than the previous year.

WILDLANDS has been one of the 6 official charities for over a decade and are set to continue until 2020 and beyond.

As an incentive to encourage our WILD RUNNERS to raise funds, 3 of the top fundraisers are taken on a WILDLIFE Experience at the Somkhanda Community Game Reserve to experience first hand conservation work being done to protect the rhino population on the reserve. This year, runners had an experience like no other as they witnessed conservation activities including the fitting of new tracking collars and the dehorning of both black and white rhino by a highly skilled team made up of a conservation VET, the Wildlife ACT monitoring team and reserve staff.

Comrades Marathon Association Chairperson, Cheryl Winn commended all runners who donated to the Comrades fundraising drive as well as all the official charities who did their best to make the 2018 Comrades count. “The Comrades Marathon charities handover is always a special occasion for us at the CMA. This does not only mark the closing chapter of Comrades 2018, but it is also an incredibly inspirational moment for all those who open their hearts into charitable giving,” she added.

WILDLANDS was responsible for cleaning up the first half of the route through the activation of the #GOGREEN campaign – an anti-littering and responsible waste management campaign launched in 2016. The campaign is set to uplift underprivileged schools in and around KwaZulu-Natal as the waste will be upcycled into 400 x Green Desks made possible by Polyolefin Recycling Company NPC (Polyco) – a non-profit industry body which aims to create a society where litter is minimised and the value of waste is maximised, through facilitating the responsible management of used polyolefin packaging.

A total of 7 867kg of waste was collected compared to 7 413kg collected last year. Plastic weighed the highest at 5 763kg. With less time exposure on the route, other streams like cans and glass were not collected and no material was sent to landfills. This is precisely what the #GOGREEN campaign advocates for.

Hanno Langenhoven, WILDLANDS’ Recycling Manager comments, “It was encouraging to see runners making use of the #GOGREEN Throw Zones and the commitment of 120 WILDLANDS staff who left the event route spotless. All the waste collected on the first 30 kilometres of the route will be upcycled into Green Desks. We hope to implement alternative hydration solutions to the event in the hopes of eliminating single use plastic.”

“As the WILDLANDS #GOGREEN campaign driver and runner, I would like to congratulate all those who completed the Ultimate Human Race. A huge thank you to our WILDLANDS runners for helping us secure a more sustainable future for our wildlife, particularly the rhino – we could not do this without them. We are grateful to the CMA for their continuous support and we look forward to an improved #GOGREEN campaign drive in 2019 that will change the of mindset the running community and encourage the use of alternative hydration solutions,” concludes Buyi Makhoba-Dlamini, WILDLANDS Strategic Marketing Manager.

The Nature, Environment and Wildlife Filmmakers Congress (NEWF) took place in Durban’s Botanic Gardens last week.

Now in its second year, the Congress inspired discussion driven by natural resource conservation within the African context while promoting a growing awareness of the natural environment and the need for its protection.

Grindrod Bank and the WILDTRUST were a big part of the supporting organisations ensuring the congress’ success.

Lauren van Nijkerk, Deputy Director of Marketing for the WILDTRUST said they have a soft spot for NEWF considering the team were introduced to Off The Fence (production company) at the 2017 congress, and are now working with them on a very exciting documentary series called Our Oceans set to be released next year.

“The congress this year was bigger and better and the variety of environmental and wildlife content, as well as story ‘opportunity’ that was presented to the delegates, was phenomenal. The energy and the passion in the room each day was electric – and I definitely feel inspired to go forth and tell some more stories through film,” said van Nijkerk.

Last year the WILDTRUST awarded aspiring filmmaker Fidel Tshivhasa with R50 000 to produce his film “Seeking Giants” essentially a story about the humpback whale migration that takes place along the KZN coastline and how he, a young man from Limpopo, came to be inspired by these gentle giants. Through its WILDOCEANS’ programme the WILDTRUST also provided some of the resources necessary to add context to Fidels’ story.

Speaking at the screening of Tshivhasa’s film, van Nijkerk said she was pleasantly surprised as his rough cuts, which he sent onto her for comment, were far from ready to be screened. But just like she saw his potential as a judge of the N.E.W Pitch at the 2017 NEWF congress, his ability and talent shone through in his final piece of work. He is extremely talented, and she believes he will be on a panel, up on the NEWF stage at a congress very soon.

After the great response to his film, Tshivhasa said the feedback was great in that everyone appreciated the effort that was made from a cinematic perspective. The response also reinforced the idea behind the decision to show the film’s outcome as it was, in that it showcased the reality of how difficult it is to see and film the whales.

“The aftermath of the film was the beginning of what I would like to see a feature coming out of. Most probably doing more work that features the scientific work that goes into the field as well, among other things. I was approached by Dustin Renwick from National Geographic to contact them should I need to take it further for development into a feature, which is great. Thando Shozi, of the SABC, would also like to facilitate that process so that they can have buy-in to the proposal as well,” said Tshivhasa.

Grindrod Bank, a long-time supporter of the WILDTRUST, is sensitive to environmental issues.

Sarah Freestone, Grindrod Bank’s Marketing Manager, was part of the judging panel for the N.E.W Pitch, an initiative targeted towards emerging, young filmmakers. Out of the nine semi-finalists chosen this year, four talented aspiring documentary filmmakers were selected, each being awarded R50 000 to develop their pitches and produce their documentary shorts.

“As a co-sponsor, Grindrod Bank recognises the value and potential effect that film can have not only on the lives of young upcoming filmmakers and the local documentary industry, but also make a real and lasting impact on conservation efforts,” said Freestone.

While the judging panel were given specific criteria for evaluating the short documentary pitches, Freestone said that it was the passion of each pitch that stood out amongst those selected.

This year’s N.E.W PITCH winners are Tessa Barlin for her film “Becoming One”, Emily Cross for “Part of the Pack”, Londiwe Shange for “Toxic Relations” and lastly Jessica Singh for her film “Epic Encounters”.

The four winners will have access to mentorship during the production of their shorts.  The films need to be completed within a year, and the four films will be combined into a once-off 48-minute TV documentary, which will be broadcast on national television.

“We’re excited about young peoples’ passion for conservation and using that passion to tell stories about people engaging with the environment. At Grindrod Bank we believe in the power of human capital, and this can only be done when you follow your passions,” concluded Freestone.

In the true spirit of Mandela, WILDLANDS together with its partners Amcor, Pepsico and SRF FLEXIPAK handed over 100 Green Desks to underprivileged schools in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and Cape Town in the Western Cape last week.

The Green Desk initiative is a ground-breaking recycling enterprise which has found a solution for the upcycling of previously unrecyclable multi-layer multi-film plastics into school desks, without using a drop of water.  In addition, it addresses the dire shortage of school desks in South Africa – of between 300 000 and 3 000 000.  Since 2016, over 1 000 Green Desks have been donated to schools around the country through various WILDLANDS partnerships in pursuit of their vision for ‘A Sustainable future for all.’

50 of the Green Desks were donated to Emngcwini Primary School located in the Cato Ridge community in KZN. The school has 215 learners (between the grades of Grade R to Grade 7), who mainly come from unemployed homes or are orphans. Through the funds received from the Department of Education, the school provides one full meal per child per day as well as provides the necessary extra curriculum activities like netball, soccer and athletics as well as enter the learners in Spelling Bee and Museum Schools Competitions.

Another 50 Green Desks were donated to Uitsig Primary School in the Cape Flats – Ravensmeade Community. This community is ravaged by gangsterism and drugs, this donation brought a glimmer of hope for the future of the learners in this community.

Amcor’s HR Director, Bongiwe Hamana comments, “Amcor’s belief in responsible packaging that is better for people, products and the world around us motivates us to pursue such initiatives.  One of these is our 2025 Pledge – to develop all our packaging to be recyclable or reusable by 2025 – calls on us to be responsible corporate citizens and we’re proud to be able to make an impact to the lives of children at Emngcwini Primary School and Uitsig Primary School.”

“The impact of these desks is two-fold.  Not only will these 100 desks prevent 5 000 kgs of multi-layered multi-film plastics from going to landfill, but the difference on the quality of education for the 200 learners who will, quite possibly, have a desk for the first time in their lives, will be remarkable.  It is estimated that a learner can experience up to a 20% increase in grades as a consequence of working on a desk.  Our thanks to Amcor, Pepsico and SFR FlexipakSA for making this donation possible,” concludes Louise Duys, WILDTRUST Director of Marketing, Partnerships and Events.

In a collaborative effort between several organisations, including conservation authorities, conservation NGOs and South African universities, a survey of the population status of migrating humpback whales commenced at the end of June in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, KwaZulu-Natal. The survey will form part of a long term, shore-based migration survey of humpback whales which was designed and initiated in 1988 by Prof Ken Findlay (now Cape Peninsula University of Technology – CPUT) and Dr Peter Best (University of Pretoria’s – UP –  Mammal Research Institute) to track the population increase of humpback whales as they recovered from commercial whaling pressure.

Commercial whaling practiced off the northern KwaZulu-Natal coastline between 1908 and 1979, decimated populations of whales in these waters. The protection of humpback whales in 1963 marks one of the great South African marine conservation success stories with numbers steadily increasing over this time.

“The recovery of Southern Hemisphere humpback whales from severe whaling pressures last century when some 210 000 animals were whaled, must rate as one of the world’s great conservation recoveries. Populations that migrate on the KZN coast each year were whaled in the Antarctic, on their migration and in their Mozambican breeding grounds. Their current recovery at some ten percent per annum is really heartening to see,” commented Prof Ken Findlay (CPUT).

“This long-term dataset is vital in tracking the South African east coast humpback population and provides a unique tool for monitoring the effects of potential impacts such as boat-based whale watching, shipping, pollution, climate change, fisheries, and oil and gas exploration,” said Chris Wilkinson, Technical Manager at the Mammal Research Institute at UP. “Considering its dependency on the Southern Ocean as a feeding ground, this species also forms an excellent model to study the effect of these environmental variabilities on the larger Southern Ocean ecosystem. Ultimately this will allow for accurate legislation and mitigation to ensure a sustainable use of our natural resources.”

The monitoring project has been spearheaded by WILDOCEANS, a new marine and coastal conservation programme of the WILDTRUST, developed in response to the need to ensure ocean health and sustainability for all. “‘Our Oceans’ is a documentary-series currently being filmed off the WILDOCEANS Research Vessel, Angra Pequena, aimed at profiling the biodiversity of Africa’s oceans and the associated conservation challenges and threats, while underwriting a new generation of management, capacity and commitment. One of the episodes of the ‘Our Oceans’ series will profile the process of this humpback whale population census,” said WILDOCEANS’ Executive Director Dr Jean Harris. “Along with the Angra Pequena crew, the team will deploy on watch towers on high dunes, speedboats and light aircraft, as they attempt to uncover the truth behind the humpback whale recovery during this crucial time in their annual cycle.”

The dunes at Cape Vidal in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a world heritage site, provide an ideal vantage point to undertake these shore-based migration surveys. Along this stretch of coastline, migrating humpback whales are funnelled close inshore by the coastal orientation as they head northwards towards their breeding grounds in Mozambique and again back south to the feeding grounds later in the season. Wildlife ACT, a conservation NGO which specialises in professional endangered and priority species monitoring, will station monitoring teams on two towers located on top of the Cape Vidal dunes to undertake the full time and consistent monitoring required over a two month period.

The monitoring will focus on gaining an estimate of overall numbers and group sizes, understanding daily densities of migrating whales as well as gathering data on migration speed and bearing and distance off shore. Results from this project will allow scientists and conservationists to expand on current knowledge of the east coast humpback whale migration and therefore estimate any changes in the population.

“As with all wildlife, we need to have a strong understanding of what populations are doing in order to effectively conserve them,” says Chris Kelly of Wildlife ACT. “Wildlife ACT has a long history of monitoring priority wildlife in northern KwaZulu-Natal, and we are excited to be able to work with this iconic species and be part of evaluating and reporting on this species’ performance and future outlook.”

“Over the past decade, it has been presumed the humpback whale population is increasing as the number of reported mortalities have increased. However, threats to these whale populations are accelerating,” said Jennifer Olbers, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Marine Ecologist.

“Whales communicate using low-frequency acoustic signals which allow interaction over large distances. Noise in the ocean including from large ships or offshore mining activities can overlap with these acoustic signals used by humpback whales, and have been reported to induce habitat displacement, behavioural changes and alterations in their acoustic signals. The iSimangaliso coastline offers an important area in which ocean noise from anthropogenic sources is reduced because shipping lanes are further from the coastline and offshore mining is prohibited, making it an ideal location for such a monitoring survey” concluded Olbers.

“It is important that we remain in touch with this recovery as there are a number of other threats to our oceans and marine life,” says Wildlife ACT’s Chris Kelly. “Collaborative surveys such as this provide the opportunity to understand these successes, but also inform the future management of our oceans and ensure that we do not again enter a stage where the populations of these magnificent animals are threatened.”

Launched in 2010 through the Integrated Greening Program (IGP), the Youth Environmental Services Program (YES) has seen hundreds of youth participating in the Green Economy in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). The YES Program was designed with a focus on sustainable food gardens, accredited training, cleaning and greening of communities, providing community services and creating sustainable job opportunities.

Over 300 000 youth are currently involved in the national Extended Public Works Program (EPWP). EPWP is seen as one of government’s tools to alleviate poverty and create work opportunities using labour intensive methods. EPWP has created 3.5 million job opportunities which is 58.3% of the target set by government to reach 6 million by 2019.

WILDLANDS, together with the National Department of Public Works (EPWP), witnessed over 160 youth graduate in various fields including Sustainable Agriculture and Business Studies, at the UGU Sports and Leisure venue in Port Shepstone last week.

To further celebrate Youth Month, the Department of Public Works saw it fitting to also launch the National EPWP Recruitment and Selection Guidelines Program. This program was developed by the National Department of Public Works and jointly approved by the Minister of Labour in December 2017, with an aim to ensure uniformity across all sectors when recruiting participants within the EPWP target group.

The National Minister of Public Works, Honorable Thulas Nxesi, congratulated the graduates and encouraged them to take full advantage of the opportunity to contribute to the country’s economy. He emphasized the importance of launching the Selection and Recruitment Guidelines. “Our President has given all of us a mandate to eliminate and fight corruption. Through these guidelines, the Department of Public Works will be able to give equal opportunities to all. The manipulation and abuse of these guidelines by political parties is unethical and unacceptable. While these opportunities are not permanent, the skills the participants are armed with will allow them to take responsibility of creating more sustainable jobs for themselves and conserve our collective heritage.”

Silindile Mgayi, a graduate from the Mzumbe Municipality comments, “Thanks to the YES program that I know more about invasive alien plants and how it affects our environment. I wish that the program can be extended for a longer period as it has improved the quality of my family’s life.”

“The programme encourages young people to play an active role in the social and economic development in their own communities. The focus is on food security and providing young people with the practical skills to grow food, as well as the business skills required to develop sustainable businesses as small scale farmers. With WILDLANDS’ involvement, a major focus is on climate smart agriculture and the development of techniques that will allow these young farmers to produce crops in radically changing climatic conditions. The project hopes to channel youth towards the Green Economy and enable their participation in environmentally sustainable development,” concludes WILDLANDS’ Executive Director, Dr Roelie Kloppers.

To conserve the world’s oceans, we must go beyond science, and use it to inform policy and management, and ultimately to catalyse change. The Society for Conservation Biology’s International Marine Conservation Congress (IMCC) brings together conservation professionals and students to develop new and powerful tools to further marine conservation science and policy. With over 700 marine conservation professionals and students in attendance, IMCC is one of the most important international events for anyone involved in marine conservation.

Dr Jean Harris of WILDOCEANS (a programme of the WILDTRUST) and #OnlyThisMuch is attending the 5th IMCC in Kuching, Sarawak this week (24-29 June).

WILDOCEANS is a marine and coastal conservation programme and was developed in response to the need to ensure ocean health and sustainability for all. #OnlyThisMuch is a campaign in collaboration with key marine conservation stakeholders and NGO’s to advance the protection of South Africa’s oceans. Currently only 0.4% of South Africa’s waters are protected in Marine Protected Areas. This is despite South Africa being a signatory of the Convention for Biological Diversity which commits countries to achieving 10% by 2020, in order to promote ocean health and human well-being.

Harris will also be presenting on the process of identifying MPAs’ for conservation priority and, along with another PEW Fellow* Ellen Pikitch, will co-convene a workshop organized by the Pew Fellows Program on the value and effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas.

Attended by leading scientists such as Dr Jane Lubchenco, this conference will bring together marine conservationists from many walks of life including but not limited to marine scientists, managers, teachers, policy makers, and journalists.

When Harris was asked what the IMCC experience has been like thus far she said: “The need to increase protection of the oceans has been a key theme – scientific evidence indicates that at least 30% protection of ocean space is needed if the benefits that MPAs bring are to be gained – such as improved fisheries, protection of natural heritage, climate impact reduction and better livelihoods and more jobs for coastal communities.”

In the words of Prof Callum Roberts from the University of York and author of the Unnatural History of the Sea “The United Nations 10% protection target is not nearly enough to safeguard vulnerable and endangered species, boost resilience to climate change and keep nature’s engines running. It is a waypoint, not the endpoint for ocean protection.”

WILDLANDS recently had the privilege of hosting Empowers Africa on a conservation management learning journey at Somkhanda Community Game Reserve. Empowers Africa has given the reserve loyal support over the years through the lion introduction that took place last year, enabling the expansion of lion range into an area that hasn’t seen lion for over 100 years.

Empowers Africa, a U.S based organisation known for supporting programmes around human empowerment, wildlife protection and land conservation, were one of the first organisations to raise their hands in support of Somkhanda.

During the visit that took place this past weekend, they supported conservation activities including the fitting of new satellite tracking collars to the dominant elephant bulls, the loosening of the lion tracking collars and the dehorning of both black and white rhino, to protect and conserve our wildlife.

The Empowers group included their trustees and donors as well as a group of youth representatives, and for some this was their first visit to South Africa. “South Africa is a wonderful country and we believe is a leader in the conservation field. It was a privilege for us to be able to share our love for the country and the incredible conservation work being done with a new group of donors, including a youth delegation that were all inspired by the experience. We are committed to supporting the incredible vision and efforts of the Gumbi community, as they continue to develop Somkhanda into a world class conservation success and destination,” added Krista Krieger, Empowers Africa Executive Director and Chairperson.

“The weekend on Somkhanda was a resounding success as we were able to fit tracking collars onto two black rhino, one white rhino, two elephant bulls and three lions, as well as trim the rhinos’ horns. To achieve these impressive results in two short days requires cooperation and coordination between multiple conservation organizations, donors and experts, and the ongoing partnership between WILDLANDS, Empowers Africa, Somkhanda and Wildlife ACT is a great example of how strong partnerships can achieve outcomes that enable the protection of a host of critically important species,” Thandiwe Knutson, Zululand Operations Manager.

“Somkhanda is a community game reserve that relies heavily on the support of the conservation community to enable the management and protection of their rhino, lion and elephant. Without the support of organisations such as Empowers Africa and not forgetting our partners in conservation, Wildlife ACT, the reserve would not be a home of the big 5. Through their support the community would also not be able to secure meaningful eco-tourism partnerships. Their support is invaluable and will leave a lasting conservation legacy,” concluded Dr Andrew Venter, WILDTRUST CEO.