13
www.thevillagenews.co.za
10 February 2021
MY ENVIRONMENT
A way to ecological Amendments to recovery for wetlands A wetlands project close to the southern tip of Africa is a shining example of environmental recovery that needs to be replicated the world over if we are to turn the tide on wetland loss.
The Nuwejaars Wetlands Special Management Area (NWSMA), close to Cape Agulhas, is a unique conservation venture made up of 25 landowners who have signed title deed restrictions to protect the area. With the Elim community, they are working to restore these wetlands to ecological health for the benefit of people and nature. The work at Nuwejaars is exactly what was advocated to mark this year’s World Wetlands Day on 2 February, with its focus on the restoration of wetlands and their importance as a source of freshwater. Through the restoration work taking place at Nuwejaars, including invasive alien clearing and rehabilitation along a 5km stretch of the river, a team of six now also enjoys secure, full-time employment. These wetlands play a key role in securing regional groundwater flow for downstream communities and towns. They are also internationally important from a conservation perspective, feeding the Heuningnes Estuary at the CapeNature De Mond Reserve, a Ramsar site (one of South Africa’s 26 wetlands of international importance) and an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area, and with examples of critically endangered fynbos types. A vital part of the work at Nuwejaars is the restoration of palmiet, a unique indigenous plant that helps to purify water and sequester carbon. Thousands of years ago, dense stands of palmiet dominated these wetlands and over the centuries, they likely formed the basis of the peat-like soils found here. Peat wetlands are vital in the fight against climate change, storing carbon for as long as it remains waterlogged, while helping to reduce the impact of floods. By the late 1990s, many of these special wet-
fishing permits to protect sharks
lands faced increasing threats. In many places, they were overrun by invasive alien plants, which reduced water flows by up to 10%, and they became increasingly degraded. This was one of the reasons a group of founding landowners decided in the early 2000s to create this conservation venture. WWF South Africa has supported the work since 2018. Dirk Human, the chair of the NWSMA and owner of Black Oystercatcher Wines, comments, “WWF South Africa recognises the ecological importance of this area, and the role our wetlands can play well beyond our borders. We’re extremely grateful for their direct support over the past three years, and their belief in our work long before that, and we look forward to working with them for a long time to come.” Jan Coetzee, Land Programme Manager with WWF South Africa, says, “We are very happy to be working with the NWSMA team whose commitment to the cause is clearly evident through the variety of interventions they have been willing to take – from alien clearance to controlled burns and replanting of indigenous species. They have shown how, by working together, we can restore wetlands to ecological health for the benefit of the natural world and current and future generations.” During the next phase of the WWF South Africa project, the team will open up the area to interpretive walking tours, leading people to a bird hide overlooking a hidden water bird spot.
Local shark-cage diving operators and conservationists have advocated for the protection of Bronze whaler sharks for many years. PHOTO: Kelly Baker, Marine Dynamics/Dyer Island Conservation Trust
A major win for South African shark species is the newly implemented slot size limits for all species of sharks targeted by line fishermen. Issued on 14 January 2021, these updated regulations to the Traditional Linefish (Zone A) permit conditions by the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF), will help further reduce pressure on declining shark species along the South African coastline. Under the new regulation it is completely illegal to catch and retain any shark species measuring more than 130 cm in total length (TL). This is the measured length (straight line) from the tip of the shark’s snout to the tip of its tail. The amendments allow for permitted linefish anglers to catch the more commercially valuable sizes and spare the larger potential
breeders, which will ultimately ensure a more sustainable fishery. The penalty for catching oversized sharks will be a large fine, confiscation of the catch and confiscation of the angler’s line-fishing permit. These regulations will go a long way in preventing resource conflict such as the catching of bronze whaler sharks (which are all usually above 200 cm TL) in areas designated for shark cage diving. Marine Dynamics, together with other operators, has been at the forefront of this discussion. “These regulations can be considered a big step forward for shark conservation and the ecological health of South Africa’s marine environment,” said Wilfred Chivell, owner of Marine Dynamics and founder of the Dyer Island Conservation Trust. – Brenda Walters
In the meantime, visitors can experience the wetlands through two-hour guided wildlife tours. These sunrise and sunset tours take visitors to a special lake expanse, now home to hippo and buffalo (reintroduced here two centuries after they became locally extinct). For more information on these tours, see www.nuwejaars.com.
The Stanford Conservation Recycling (SCORE) Swop Shop recently had a very successful morning with children exchanging eco bricks for a stationery pack suited to their grade. Elma Hunter of the Swop Shop says they also take part in the monthly Junktique in Stanford where they sell donated goods that are not suitable for the swop shop, and use that income to buy stationery and toiletries for the children. During the lockdown the swop shop has not been able to operate as usual, but a way was found, with the help of the local SAPS and municipal law enforcement, to get the children to cooperate by wearing their masks and sitting at a safe distance from each other in the adjacent park. Small groups of children were then allowed inside the swop shop yard and were attended to by the volunteers. They were thrilled to receive their stationery packs in exchange for the eco bricks they’d made.
