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www.thevillagenews.co.za
7 October 2020
Findings point to changes in the Southern Ocean From P1 “In general, successful calving and migration in southern right whales rely on having an adequate body condition (blubber thickness or ‘fatness’), and thus energy reserves, which is directly influenced by their feeding ‘success’. It is therefore believed that a decrease in their feeding success lies at the heart of these anomalous trends. “As our research continues, this hypothesis is being confirmed by our scientific data, which indicate strong correlations between the southern right whale prevalence along our shores with climate conditions in the Southern Ocean and fluctuations in food availability. In fact, new data reveal that the South African southern right whales have drastically changed their feeding locations in the past two decades, suggesting that their previously productive feeding grounds have changed over time,” says Vermeulen. These findings point toward largescale ecosystem changes in the Southern Ocean, likely impacting several different oceanic top predators. Data further indicate that while this shift in foraging locations may be an attempt to keep up with a changing ocean, the changes may not be sufficient to ensure an adequate body condition
is obtained, negatively impacting the success of their calving and migration. “In this regard, we are further investigating the whales’ nutritional condition using overhead drone images and analysis of blubber stress hormone levels. These results should be available at the end of this year,” she says. Very similar trends are being recorded in South America and Australia, resulting in the MRI Whale Unit co-leading the Southern Right Whale research theme under the Southern Ocean Research Partnership of the International Whaling Commission.
racy, assess their overall reproductive success. These aspects are vital to monitor the recovery of the South African population of right whales, increasing at a rate of 6.5% per year, since the international protection of the population against whaling. The analyses will also allow us to investigate further possible causes and consequences of the concerning decrease in sightings along our shores in recent years.”
through the adopt-a-whale programme, in which everyone can join the community by symbolically adopting a whale, this way supporting whale research and conservation in South Africa. “All raised funds go integrally to cover the costs of fieldwork. For more information, please check www.adoptawhale.co.za. You can also follow our activities through our Facebook page at MRIWhaleUnit,” says Vermeulen.
Stay updated on the status of our southern right whale research
For further enquiries please contact Dr Els Vermeulen (Research Manager
at the Whale Unit) on 060 9714301 or Chris Wilkinson (Technical Manager at the Whale Unit) on 083 580 8247. It was also reported that nurdles, small plastic pellets about the size of a lentil that are used to make nearly all plastic products, have resurfaced in our area. According to marine expert Meredith Thronton, more than 7 kg was collected at Cape Infanta on Monday. She says nurdles that have been dumped in the ocean make their way from the substrate onto our shores as the winter swells shift sand on the beaches.
Now that the survey has been completed, all photographs taken will be analysed in the coming weeks for individual identification, and compared to the Whale Unit’s southern right whale photo-identification catalogue which contains over 2 300 recognisable adults from the previous 40 annual surveys. This analysis will be done with a computer-assisted image recognition system, followed by final matching of the whales by eye. “Through such analyses, we will be able to determine which females calved this year, how long it took them to produce a new calf, their individual distribution and movement patterns and, with considerable accu-
New management for Market Square stalls Writer De Waal Steyn “I am very excited about the future of the Hermanus Market Square and all the stalls. I have been a trader in Hermanus myself for the past 25 years and know how much it takes to run a successful business.” So says Jolene Nel, who last week officially took over the management of the Market Square stalls (often referred to as the red, or pigeon sheds), after she was granted a 10-year management contract by the Overstrand
Municipality. According to documentation that served before Council on 30 September, the tender process was started in November 2019 and was awarded to Nel in August this year by the bid adjudication committee. The tender document called for the lease, management, maintenance, and sublease of 34 of the stalls, as well as the upkeep of the ablution facilities. Only one tender to the value of R76 840 per month was received. The previous management tender,
awarded in 2015, was bedevilled with legal problems, as some of the then tenants, who leased their stalls directly from the municipality, questioned the validity of the management contract and refused to vacate their stalls. A lengthy legal battle ensued, resulting in the previous managing agent, Arrie de Klerk, not being able to take up his duties until a year after the tender had been awarded to him. In September 2016, the Western Cape High Court ruled against the traders and found that the management
contract could be implemented. With the ruling in place, the stage was set for reimagining the look and composition of the various stalls, but poor economic trading conditions, the devastating riots in 2018 and the Covid-19 lockdown have made life very difficult for the traders since then. However, Nel says she is optimistic about the future of the Market Square. “Being a trader myself and being familiar with the industry is a great advantage. Yes, we are all
suffering due to the lockdown and various other factors, but we intend to keep the stalls going. We will work hard on maintaining a clean and friendly environment. “First and foremost, we want to offer visitors and holidaymakers a place where they can walk, browse and relax. The Market Square is located in a prime business area and we want to ensure that there is something for everyone there. I am passionate about trading and I am looking forward to serving the stall holders and clients over the next decade,” says Nel.
