09
April 2008 - Media Statement - ISSUED BY
THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS
AND TOURISM - WEDNESDAY, 09 APRIL 2008:
The World Parks Congress (WPC) or Durban
+5 review meeting , whose aim is to reflect
on progress made and challenges faced by
protected areas since the last World Parks
Congress in 2003, resumed in Somerset West
in Cape Town today.
One of the greatest
challenges facing protected continues to
be the effective implementation and management
of protected areas including the need to
ensure that protected areas provide sustained
and equitable benefits to local communities
and reduce poverty and biodiversity loss
and adaptation to climate change. Lack of
funding also remains a challenge.
The 3 day meeting will
also provide impetus to achieving the Convention
on Biological Diversity (CBD) Programme
on protected areas. The adoption of CBD
Programme of work adopted in 2004 defines
global cooperation on protected areas planning
and management.
Addressing the meeting,
Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism,
Marthinus van Schalkwyk says scientific
evaluations on climate change have confirmed
that climate change is indeed a key driver
to biodiversity loss and stress to our water
resources. He said through our approach
to Business Unusual, we need to address
the unmanageable through mitigation and
unavoidable through adaptation.
The Minister further
said that in South Africa we are currently
assessing how the planning, management and
expansion of our national parks can build
resilience to climate change adding that
tools are in place to address the problem
in an affordable way that will reduce some
impact and avoid extreme ones.
The World’s water resources
are under extreme stress and its predicted
that in 2030, the population in these areas
will increase by 1 billion to 3,9 billion.
However a challenge which is also an opportunity
to Africa is to use the trans-boundary water
resource management to promote regional
cooperation and development.
In addressing biodiversity
problems globally, the Minister urged delegates
to continue to build on 2010 targets set
by the World Summit on Sustainable Development.
South Africa has already
published the National Spatial Biodiversity
Assessment publication, to guide the conservation
and management of biodiversity to ensure
sustainable and equitable benefits for all.
The meeting is attended
by local and foreign delegates including
the IUCN President and former DEAT Minister,
Valli Moosa and Chairperson of the Convention
of Nik Lipoukhine.
The World Parks Congress
takes place every ten years.
Mava Scott (Acting Chief Director: Communications)
OPENING SPEECH BY MARTHINUS VAN SCHALKWYK,
MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND TOURISM
AT THE 8th CONFERENCE OF THE INTERNATIONAL
NETWORK FOR ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE AND
ENFORCEMENT, VINEYARD HOTEL, CAPE TOWN,
7 April 2008
07 April 2008 – Speech
- Department of Environmental Affairs and
Tourism – INTRODUCTION - I am honoured to
welcome you to this 8th International Conference
of the International Network for Environmental
Compliance and Enforcement, and to open
this conference. On behalf of the South
African government and our department, the
Department of Environmental Affairs and
Tourism, it is also my pleasure to welcome
you to our beautiful country.
Ladies and gentlemen,
in 2008, the regulation of our environment
has to be a matter of international importance
and international cooperation. For some
time we have lived in a world where our
impacts on the environment are so significant
that they are felt across international
borders. Climate change is an obvious example
of the influence that we can have on the
health and well-being of people on the other
side of the world, without their consent
or acceptance of the risks imposed.
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
Today we live and operate
in a global market where every imaginable
product is traded internationally. In addition,
major new and rapidly growing markets have
dramatically increased the demand for natural
resource-based commodities.
Inevitably, some of
these products traded across the globe include
environmental contraband - both threatened
and endangered species and products as well
as hazardous materials and waste. And the
illegal trade in environmental contraband,
which is more often than not committed by
highly organised crime networks, is extremely
profitable. We know that crime syndicates
make as much as US$30 billion from the illegal
dumping of hazardous waste, the smuggling
of hazardous materials and the abuse of
scarce natural resources.
With the explosion of
the internet, international trade in environmental
contraband has rapidly become very easy
for traders, and has created a daunting
new challenge for compliance and enforcement.
A recent study of the International Fund
for Animal Welfare (IFAW), in a one-week
survey of the online trading website e-bay,
found over 9,000 wild animal products and
specimens and live wild animals for sale,
predominantly from species protected by
law.
Strong international
environmental agreements like the Convention
on International Trade in Endangered Species
of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), coupled
with adequate domestic legislation to implement
CITES, constitute only the first step. Just
like the illegal trade in drugs and weapons,
this kind of criminal activity cannot be
countered without comprehensive and committed
international cooperation and information-sharing.
Our colleagues from Interpol play a key
role in facilitating this exchange.
Ladies and gentlemen,
as regulation of the transport and disposal
of hazardous waste and materials are tightened
all over the world; the illegal trade in
such materials has also taken off, often
with tragic consequences. The fatal September
2006 incident in Abidjan in Ivory Coast
where toxic waste was dumped by a local
contractor working for an international
commodities company is just one example
of what can go wrong when local compliance
and enforcement is not strong enough to
stand up to the pressure of international
criminal activity.
However, the problem
does not only lie with countries where the
waste ends up. Indications are that far
stricter control is required of the potential
exporters of waste. A 2005 report by the
European Network for the Implementation
and Enforcement of Environmental Law (IMPEL)
based on a joint enforcement operation in
17 European seaports found that 48% of waste
shipments were illegal under EU regulations.
I am therefore of the
view that far more attention needs to be
given to compliance and enforcement of the
Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary
Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their
Disposal. This is particularly crucial in
the context of the 20 to 50 million metric
tonnes of electronic waste generated worldwide
every year.
International cooperation
on environmental compliance and enforcement
can also assist in raising the bar in countries
where environmental crime does not receive
the attention it deserves.
It is for these reasons
that I am inspired to see that the International
Network for Environmental Compliance and
Enforcement is a strong and vibrant network
of compliance and enforcement specialists
from every corner of the world. If this
means that all national governments represented
here today are prioritising the implementation
of environmental compliance and enforcement
programmes, both domestically and in terms
of their international obligations, we have
surely come a long way towards effective
international cooperation on environmental
compliance and enforcement.
THE SOUTH AFRICAN PATH
Ladies and gentlemen,
in 1998 South Africa passed its framework
environmental legislation, the National
Environmental Management Act. Although this
Act entrenched important principles for
sustainable development, environmental management
and protection, it did not provide for comprehensive
powers to enforce this legislation. Whilst
enforcement of environmental legislation
was carried out, particularly in the context
of our wildlife and marine resources, there
was no coordinated, central network of Inspectors
with similar training and powers.
Therefore in May 2005,
we brought into effect legislation that
established the Environmental Management
Inspectorate, commonly known here in South
Africa as the “Green Scorpions”.
Our Inspectors have
worked hard to change the common perception
in South Africa that government lacks the
will to enforce our environmental legislation.
Today, there are 866 Inspectors in 15 institutions
across our country.
GREEN SCORPIONS’ ACHIEVEMENTS
I have just been given
results from our second annual National
Environmental Enforcement Report. The report
indicates how dramatically the reporting
of illegal activity, the enforcement of
environmental legislation and actual enforcement
results have increased over the past 2 years.
Let me share with you a couple of highlights
from this report.
Inspectors were investigating
more than 1756 criminal dockets or case
files in 2007-8;
Reported arrests by the green scorpions
have increased from 898 in 2006-7 to more
than 2612 in 2007-8;
Reported convictions of environmental criminals
have increased from 134 in 2006-7 to 746
in 2007-8.
Unquestionably we still need more Inspectors,
and better trained and better equipped Inspectors.
In addition to this, Inspectors will be
the first to acknowledge that formal partnerships
with other enforcement agencies are key
to successful enforcement.
I remain concerned to
see the discrepancy between the number of
criminal dockets and arrests, and the actual
number of convictions on environmental criminals.
This indicates an urgent need for more effective
investigations and for increased support
from our National Prosecuting Authority
for the prosecution of environmental crime.
Pursuant to some months
of negotiation, our Department is on the
verge of signing a formal Standard Operating
Procedure with the South African Police
Services. This Procedure will allow Environmental
Management Inspectors to carry their own
criminal dockets or case files, and to hand
those over for prosecution to the National
Prosecuting Authority. Although this will
add to our Inspectors’ responsibilities,
it will also allow for the more effective
and efficient prosecution of environmental
crime.
CONCLUSION
Co-Chairs of the INECE
Secretariat, Honourable Ministers, delegates,
in 2008 the environment - both here in South
Africa and internationally - faces unprecedented
threats and challenges. These include increased
urbanisation, increased demand for rapid
development and economic growth, all of
which continue to contribute to the largest
environmental threat of all - climate change.
A global commitment to compliance and enforcement
will be crucial for the successful implementation
of international agreements on combating
climate change.
There can be no question
that, without enforcement of compliance,
environmental legislation is worth no more
than the paper on which it’s written. I
wish you a productive conference that will
improve our understanding of effective compliance
and enforcement. I also wish you a rewarding
stay here in our beautiful Mother City.
I now declare this 8th
International Conference of the International
Network of Environmental Compliance and
Enforcement formally open.
Thank you.
+ More
KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY MARTHINUS
VAN SCHALKWYK, MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENTAL
AFFAIRS AND TOURISM, AT THE OPENING OF THE
WORLD PARKS+5 CONFERENCE IN SOMERSET WEST,
CAPE TOWN
09 April 2008 – Speech
- ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL
AFFAIRS AND TOURISM
INTRODUCTION
It is my pleasure to
welcome you to Somerset West, Cape Town,
situated in the heart of the Cape Floristic
Kingdom - a World Heritage Site and a biodiversity
hotspot. This is also the smallest and richest
of the six floral kingdoms and the only
one to be found entirely in one country.
It has been five years
since the 2003 IUCN World Parks Congress
in Durban. The 2003 Congress was an important
milestone as it provided a major global
forum for setting the agenda for protected
areas in the 21st century.
BUSINESS UNUSUAL
In South Africa, since
the World Parks Congress, we have followed
an approach to conservation that can be
best described as “Business Unusual”. Our
key realisation is that “business as usual”
is not sustainable - continuing thoughtlessly
on that path would eventually have compromised
the integrity of our land and its species
for future generations.
Protecting the global
environment transcends borders and nationalities
and is largely beyond the capacity of individual
countries. We need to take joint action
on a global scale to address this. In order
for us to make significant inroads, we need
more than a mere “adjustment” to business-as-usual.
We need to radically shift, as a global
community, to a Business Unusual path.
There are many environmental
challenges confronting us. I would like
to reflect on three: biodiversity loss,
water scarcity and climate change.
Biodiversity loss
Biodiversity is the
foundation of life on earth. Considering
that the majority of biodiversity lies outside
protected areas - and that only 12% of the
world’s land surface enjoy some kind of
formal protection - current trends could
drive ecosystems and many species that we
know today to extinction. Fish stocks show
evidence of decline from a combination of
unsustainable fishing pressures and habitat
degradation. This has collectively resulted
in 25% of world fish stocks being under
serious threat of depletion.
Not more than 80 kms
away from us lies the Succulent Karoo Biome,
the richest desert in the world in terms
of its plant species. Upwards of 7000 endemic
plant species are shared between this biome
and the Cape Floristic Kingdom. Both biomes
are unhappily vulnerable to the effects
of climate change. For a mean global temperature
rise of 2ºC during this century, up
to half of these endemics may be at increased
risk of extinction.
global progress already
made towards achieving the 2010 biodiversity
targets set by the World Summit on Sustainable
Development. One of the most important recent
achievements in addressing South African
biodiversity concerns was the publication
of the National Spatial Biodiversity Assessment.
This plan will guide our conservation and
management of biodiversity, and help us
to ensure sustainable and equitable benefits
for all communities.
Water scarcity
The world’s water resources
are under extreme stress. By the year 2030,
it is predicted that the number of people
living in areas of water stress will increase
by 1 billion to a staggering 3.9 billion.
Africa is particularly vulnerable. By 2020,
between 75 million and 250 million people
are likely to experience water shortages
as a result of climate change.
A key challenge and
opportunity in Africa is to use trans-boundary
water resource management to promote regional
integration and to enhance peace-making
by opening new avenues for dialogue. Consider,
for example, the fact that almost 40% of
Africa’s international borders are demarcated
by river channels and basin watersheds,
and that most major rivers traverse national
boundaries. These resources are sensitive
to even moderate reductions in rainfall,
as are predicted to occur in many places
across Africa.
It is therefore critical
to design and strengthen regional water
regimes to manage the challenges around
increased water scarcity, and more specifically
to appropriately govern international rivers,
watersheds and underground water resources.
Climate change
The rigorous scientific
evaluations of the Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change (IPCC) have already confirmed
that climate change is a key driver of biodiversity
loss and water stress. If we do not adopt
a Business Unusual approach to the climate
change challenge - a time will come when
we will no longer be able to adapt our way
out of the problem. That is the bad news.
The good news from the IPCC is that we have
the tools to address the problem in an affordable
way that will both reduce some impacts,
and avoid others that may be more extreme.
But then we must choose to act.
Globally, by mid century,
20% to 30% of plant and animal species are
likely to be at increased risk of extinction
as a result of climate change. Closer to
home for us here in sub-Saharan Africa,
the IPCC indicated that between 25% and
40% of animal species in national parks
will see further increases in threat status.
In conservation areas,
the threats appear to be real and urgent.
For example in South Africa:
The Kruger National
Park could see more intense rainfall interspersed
with possibly more extended dry spells,
changes in the tree cover and grass production,
and greater competition for water resources.
The Table Mountain National Park could see
local extinctions of climate-sensitive fynbos
species with possible loss of sensitive
habitats such as ancient perennial water
seeps, increased frequency of fires, and
the accelerated spread of alien invasive
species.
We have therefore been
assessing how the planning, management and
expansion of our national parks can build
resilience to climate change. Increasingly,
we are integrating a greater variety of
habitats and altitudes that reduce the risks
to endemic species into our protected areas
design. A prime example of this is the Namaqua
National Park and the Tankwa National Park
where we are currently expanding the original
Parks. The expanded footprint of these Parks
will allow us to include the priority conservation
areas, but will also create Parks with greater
altitudinal variation and more biologically
important components. This will provide
a greater variety of habitats and thus reduce
the risks to endemic species posed by climate
change trends. The altitudinal variation
builds resilience as a key response to climate
change risks.
Chair, as a global community,
we cannot afford a mere “adjustment” in
the way we do business, or produce, or consume,
if we want to successfully address the challenges
posed by climate change. That will not take
us far enough towards a business unusual
pathway. We need a revolution: an energy
revolution, a revolution in technology and
a revolution of the mind. It will likely
be the first jointly planned revolution
in human history.
The dual challenge is
to avoid the unmanageable (through mitigation);
and manage the unavoidable (through adaptation).
We must move from the era of identifying
problems to the era of solutions. Urgency
is required of all. Let us be clear: All
countries need to do more, on both adaptation
and mitigation. For too long, the political
divide between developed and developing
countries has slowed down urgent action.
It is time to raise the bar on both sides,
albeit in a differentiated manner.
South Africa, as a developing
country, stands ready to do more - but we
also need the most economically advanced
nations to do even more and to come good
in supporting us. Therefore, we must conclude
the negotiations on a strengthened climate
regime, as agreed in the Bali Roadmap, by
the end of 2009. This will be one of the
most complex, but also one of the most defining
international negotiations ever. It will
determine the future of all humanity and
all creatures on this planet.
FIVE YEARS AFTER THE
WORLD PARKS CONGRESS
Chair, turning to our
“Business Unusual” approach in South Africa,
allow me to focus on some of our achievements
over the past few years. We have committed
significant financial resources towards
the expansion of formal protected areas,
bringing the number of national parks to
22, and the total formal conservation estate
to 4 million hectares. Since 2004 we have
declared four new Marine Protected Areas,
increasing the total coastline under some
form of protection to 20%.
Our Kids and Parks Programme
aimed at improving access to national parks
for learners and teachers from disadvantaged
backgrounds has reached over 20,000 learners.
The legislative and regulatory frameworks
for biodiversity management and protected
areas were strengthened in line with international
best practice. Our Transfrontier Conservation
Areas programme is reaching for new heights.
And over the past twelve years, South African
National Parks and provincial parks have
developed critical partnerships with the
Working for Water programme, our national
programme to control invasive alien plants,
and the Working for Wetlands programme.
There are many other
achievements that I could list; suffice
it to say: the Business Unusual approach
has delivered concrete results that will
preserve our common heritage for future
generations. There are however many challenges
remaining.
CONCLUSION
Chair, if we are to
succeed in triumphing over global challenges
that we face in the environmental sphere,
we have to raise the bar for all. It’s about
radical change, it’s about a revolution
of the mind.
This is often seen as
a daunting task, but we also know it is
achievable and affordable. It won’t be cheap
or easy, but it can be done. But then we
need political leadership willing to introduce
and implement ambitious new policies. Time
is of the essence - the window of opportunity
is closing on us - so we must act now.
In conclusion, to reach
what we have set out to achieve in Durban
5 years ago will require that we all, individually
and collectively, embrace the concept of
“Business Unusual” for the environment and
sustainable development. It’s about working
together to effect change. It’s about turning
Business-as-Usual on its back.
Mava Scott (Acting Chief Director: Communications)
+ More
WARNING CONTINUES ON
SHELLFISH POISONING ON WEST COAST
Department of Environmental
Affairs and Tourism - Media Statement -
For immediate release - 8 April 2008 - The
Department of Environmental Affairs and
Tourism has received the results of tests
carried out on samples that were taken over
the weekend at Melkbosstrand on the West
Coast. Low levels of toxins of Paralytic
Shellfish Poisoning were detected in the
abalone which is a concern for the Department.
The situation will continually be monitored.
We continue to recommend
that the public do not collect and/or eat
any shellfish, especially mussels, oysters
and abalone, on the West Coast (north of
Cape Point) until further advised.
Paralytic Shellfish
Poisoning is caused by Harmful Algal Blooms
of a specific dinoflagellate, Aleandrium
cantella, which occurs when toxic phytoplankton
that are typically taken up from the water
by shellfish such as mussels and oysters,
then accumulate the algal toxins to levels
that are potentially dangerous to humans
and other consumers.
The first symptoms of
Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning are a tingling,
stinging or burning sensation of the lips,
tongue and fingertips within 30 minutes
of eating poisonous shellfish. Numbness
of the arms, legs and neck follows. If these
symptoms are experienced, a doctor should
be consulted immediately.
Issued by Mava Scott, Chief Director: Communications
(Acting)
Department of Environmental Affairs and
Tourism
