DEAR Editor,-
With two of Africa’s busiest ports and vast numbers of unemployed citizens, the responsible use of our oceans must be a priority in KwaZulu-Natal. The 2017 Marine Spatial Planning Bill recently debated in provincial legislature highlighted environmental, conservation and economic development through our ocean economy.
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The bill will see the formation of a ‘National Working Group’ comprising competent technical officials from numerous governmental departments including defence, fisheries, science and technology and tourism.
Then there is the director-general (DG) committee comprising DGs from the same departments, co-chaired by the DG for Environment Affairs and Monitoring and Evaluation which will act as a go-between for the National Working Group and the ministerial committee.
The final structure is the ministerial committee for Marine and Spatial Planning comprising at least six ministers from the Working Group portfolios. Their task will be to approve any spatial plans and frameworks.
While this may sound good, the reality is that we already have fine legislation. The problem lies with a lack of monitoring.
And while the opportunity for gas exploration and extraction must be permitted, it must be in balance with nature and the long-term sustainability of the marine environment.
There is also no point whatsoever in regulating the use of marine space if it is going to be destroyed through over-activity. A case in point is KZN’s fish stocks which have become depleted because they are very attractive to foreign fishing concerns. The DA sincerely hopes that this area will soon be regulated and negotiated to the benefit of South African companies and fishermen
Another downside is that we now have group of political deployees, namely the National Working Group, reporting to political ministers with a political structure of directors-general as a go-between, leaving little room for public comment and very little requirement to involve professionals.
One can only hope that those tasked with the protection of our marine economy are capable of keeping South Africa’s best interests first on the agenda and that they will not sell drilling and fishing rights to the highest bidder for their own benefit.
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Certainly, the time for political slogans and rhetoric – not to mention the ‘blame game’ – is over. We need solutions.
There is huge potential for KZN to create a vibrant economy while we still have a thriving marine environment. Without it, there is no chance.
No economy can survive in a bad environment – one only needs to look at China and India who have to shut down industry and vehicle use for days simply because the air is too foul to breathe.
And so the challenge is to find answers. We simply cannot drop the ball that is our natural marine heritage. Our children depend on us.
ANN McDONNELL, MPL
DA KZN Spokesman on Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs
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