Address
By The Deputy Minister Of Environmental Affairs
And Tourism Rejoice Mabudafhasi - 16 September
2006
Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
Programme Director
Bill Naude from the Plastic Federation
Distinguished guests
Our school kids
Volunteers
Ladies and Gentlemen
I am very much excited to join
you here today as one of the volunteers to participate
in today’s Coastal Clean up campaign. As a country
we are joining millions of other volunteers across
the globe to clean up our beaches and coastal
lines.
According to Ocean Conservancy,
an organisation that started this programme back
in 1986, last year during the International Coastal
Cleanup, volunteers picked up over 8 million pounds
of trash from our beaches and waterways. This
could be enough picnic supplies for a family of
four to have a picnic every day for the next 60
years.
Programme Director, the clean
up is unique in many ways, not only because it
is an international effort involving so many people
from a variety of countries – but also because
the volunteers actually categorize the waste they
find. This waste is captured into data sheets
that are then collected and compiled into an international
‘snapshot’ of the types of garbage found floating
up to our shores, and what areas are being the
most impacted.
Different types of garbage and
waste were collected during last year’s clean
up campaign. Statistics revealed that plastic
products and cigarette butts form the majority
of waste found in our coastlines.
During the 2004 clean-up campaign
in our country, more than 2000 volunteers collected
16 tons of marine debris, most of which comprised
of plastic beverage bottles, food wrappers, and
cigarette butts.
Plastic products in particular
pose a serious threat to marine life not only
on the shorelines, but in our open waters as well.
Plastic bags, balloons, and
straws are deadly to fish, birds and amphibians
that might swallow them. Programme Director in
short, everything we throw away will always find
its way to the environment and endanger our wildlife.
Allow me to demonstrate in a
more practical way the dangers caused by waste
material on our marine environment.
Plastic bags floating in the
water resemble jellyfish. Immature turtles and
whales have been found to mistake them for jellyfish.
Plastic bottles are often mistaken
for cuttlefish given their tough but chewy texture.
Again, it is whales, and turtles that suffer the
consequences of consuming this waste.
Birds often confuse plastic
bits for food. Animals fill their bellies with
plastic waste thus creating a false sense of satisfaction
which results in malnutrition and mortality.
Ropes from ships, fishing lines
and broken nets result in entanglements, that
in turn result in suffocation of marine animals.
Just like you would not want
to live in a home polluted by others' inconsiderate
waste, a natural environment means a safer and
healthier home for plants and animals.
Programme Director as you may
be aware, South Africa has a history of embarking
on a fight against pollution ranging from air,
water, oceans and any other land based activities
that generate waste and pollution.
The Blue Flag campaign, WIO-LaB
project, Marine Week, Coast Care programme and
this Coastal Clean Up event are some of the campaigns
we engage in to combat marine pollution.
It is with pride that I can
announce that South Africa has now 20 Blue Flag
beaches. I am also exited to note that the next
round of Blue Flag announcement will be done in
a not so distant future.
I am reliably informed that
the announcement will be done here in KZN.
Programme Director, nearly 80%
of marine litter which ends in our oceans comes
from land-based sources and therefore needs to
be reduced.
You might recall that last year
on 24 May, we were in Richards Bay to launch the
WIO-LaB project. This project focuses on the prevention
of marine pollution from land based activities.
This is our response to marine
pollution resulting from agricultural activities,
industrial waste, municipal and domestic waste
including the littering taking place in our rivers
such as the debris and waste collected today at
Umgeni and other areas along this beach.
I therefore urge those who care
about our own people’s health, to take stand and
fight against polluting our beautiful rivers,
beaches and the entire coastal environment.
Last year when we cleaned Robben
Island as part of this programme, we managed to
gather 450 bags of debris, plastic bags, bottles,
and any other waste materials you may never think
of.
I am delighted to inform you
that this year through the assistance of the Plastic
Bag Federation we have managed to distribute 575
000 bags at our coastal areas for the purpose
of today’s event.
In conclusion I want to take
this opportunity to thank all sponsors for today’s
event - the Plastic Bag Federation, Pick and Pay,
SABC Education as well as Ezemvelo KZN WildLife
and all the volunteers for making this event a
great success!
We couldn’t have asked for a
better day.
Let us make coastal clean up our daily activity.
Thank you.
