African Wildlife and Environment Issue 64

& ENVIRONMENT WILDLIFE African SUMMER 2017 ISSUE 64

The state of our water resources Managing resources in a constrained environment World class iSimangaliso An ancient mystique culminating in a sense of place

THE MAGAZINE OF THE WILDLIFE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIETY OF SOUTH AFRICA

CONTENTS Cover photo:

Email: info@wessa.co.za Tel: +27 11 462 5663 www.wessa.org.za Email info@wessa.co.za Tel +27 11 462 5663 www.wessa.org.za

3 5 6 7 8

Editorial

Verreaux’s Eagle Albert Froneman

Corporate members

Project partners

WESSA magazines

Howick Office Umngeni Valley Nature Reserve 1 Karkloof Road, Howick, 3290 PO Box 394, Howick, 3290 Tel +27(0) 33 330 3931 Email howickadmin@wessa.co.za East London Office Shop 12B, Beacon Bay Crossing North Wing,Cnr N2 & Bonza Bay Rd Beacon Bay, 5241, East London PO Box 2909, Beacon Bay, 5205 Tel +27 (0) 043 748 5798 Email eladmin@wessa.co.za Durban Office 100 Brand Road, Glenwood, Durban 4001 Tel +27 (0) 31 201 3126 Email dbnadmin@wessa.co.za Bryanston Office 18 Blackwood Street Bryanston x3, 2191 PO Box 435, Ferndale, 2160 Tel +27 (0) 11 462 5663 Email jnbadmin@wessa.co.za Cape Town Office 31 The Sanctuary, Kirstenhof, 7945 PO Box 30145, Tokai, 7966 Tel +27 (0) 21 701 1397 Email admin@wessa.co.za

Good reads Conservation 10 Conservation expansion 14 An ever changing landscape 18 The state of water Destination 21 World class iSimangaliso 24 Relief for Lake St Lucia Fauna & Flora 25 A storm in a teacup 27 For the love of nature 30 Why plant indigenous? 32 On the horns of a dilemma Environmental Education 35 Jobs for carbon 37 Towards a sustainable future 41 Environmental awareness 43 Farewell Roberta Friends Groups 45 Friends of the Nylsvley Eco-hero 48 Honouring Tim Wright Birding 50 Living a double life

Page 10 Conservation

Page 21 Destination

Consulting Editor John Ledger

Published by:

john.ledger@wol.co.za Production Manager John Wesson john.wesson@wessa.co.za Design & Layout Marlene McKay mmckay23@gmail.com

Page 50 Birding

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EDITORIAL

Dr John Ledger

There is something special about the look, feel, and smell of a beautifully designed and produced magazine or book that you can hold in your hands, place by your bedside, pack into your bag and carry with you to places with out electricity or cell-phone reception.

WESSA members have been the readers of Environment magazine for the past six-and-a-bit years. Prior to that, the Society’s magazine, African Wildlife , had been published for members since 1946. With rising costs and duplication of effort, a meeting of minds from WESSA and EWT agreed to pool their publications into Environment magazine, for the greater good of all. So African Wildlife (WESSA) and Endangered Wildlife (Endangered Wildlife Trust) magazines were incorporated into Environment – People and Conservation in Africa . The background to these developments is given on page 7. This initiative was widely supported by many readers, who enjoyed the broad appeal of the magazine, and appreciated learning about the work of other like-minded NGOs, while remaining loyal to their favourite society or association. For several years Environment flourished and prospered, with advertising support helping to cut production costs for the benefit of all partners. Unfortunately that special journey ended after 25 memorable and value-packed editions of Environment magazine. Some of the coalition members dropped out, while the shift from print to digital advertising took away much of the revenue that had made the magazine financially viable. With one or two exceptions, most printed magazines and newspapers in South Africa (and elsewhere) have shrunk to mere skeletons, or morphed into electronic publications, while others are dead and buried. Environment is now regrettably among the latter. But here is an interesting thing: on my bookshelf I have all 25 issues of Environment magazine, in pristine condition. I can pull them out, open the pages to see the wonderful photographs, and still smell the ink that was precisely laid down on the paper years ago. Then I went onto the Internet and searched for Environment magazine. There was no way that I could find a complete set of the 25 issues of Environment magazine on the Internet! The Endangered Wildlife Trust has 16 of the 25 issues on its website as e-books that can be accessed. As far as I know, none of the other NGO partners has electronic copies available. Readers should please drop me a line if there is another source I do not know about. And while on that subject, your letters to the magazine will always be welcome, so please share you views!

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GENERAL

CORPORATE MEMBERS

we can get at least one copy into every school in the country. Now that would be an achievement of note! One of the most successful monthly specialist magazines I know has a print version for subscribers and bookshelf sales, an electronic version that can be downloaded (for half the price of the printed version) plus a weekly electronic newsletter that helps boost the sales of the other two. Now here is a savvy publisher who has got all the bases covered! This is something else we should aspire to. We live in a world where politicians and the media speak glibly about ‘regular facts’ and ‘alternative facts’, and if you think about it, this is indeed the case in environmental issues such as hunting, climate change, nuclear energy and many more. I hope we will be able to bring you balanced views about the wonderful planet we live on, and that we will cover many aspects of natural history, protected areas, biodiversity and environmental education, while giving due space to the politics of the environment, which ultimately affects the long-term survival and viability of the biodiversity we value so much. The last issue of African Wildlife was Volume 63 No 2. We are simply going to number the new publication from 64 on. I am looking forward to working with the WESSA team to bring you an interesting magazine. I have previously served as the Content Editor for African Wildlife , so in many ways it feels like coming home.

The point I am trying to make is that in our fast-moving, electronic, instant access world, information can simply disappear, or become inaccessible. For example, take all my own old information that is locked up on dusty disk drives (‘floppies’ and ‘stiffies’) lying in a box somewhere in my office. I can’t access that data because the technology has moved on, and I don’t have a means of reading those disks. For all their showy features and glitz, electronic storage and retrieval systems are fallible, and the contents can disappear in a flash! I recently showed a couple of the Environment magazines to a top motor industry executive: “Those are beautiful” he said “but I don’t buy magazines anymore, I access them on my tablet”. This may be the view of the educated elites of South Africa, but there are millions of other people out there who value and cherish a printed magazine. Dr John Hanks told me that most of the schools in the rural areas of Limpopo Province are totally starved for information about wildlife and the environment, and any surplus magazines that are available from the Lapalala Wilderness School are eagerly grabbed by teachers and learners alike. The fact is that there are millions of South Africans, many of them young, who would appreciate and cherish a magazine like the one you are holding. In most cases they cannot afford to buy one themselves. In many cases it could be a story or a picture in a magazine that inspires a young person to follow a career in conservation, environmental science or agriculture, or other fields of caring for the earth. So here is the challenge thatWESSA needs to consider: let’s make African Wildlife & Environment magazine financially viable so that

“How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these”. George Washington Carver George Carver was a man who got an education through his own unending efforts. He was born into slavery about 1864. His mother was stolen when he was an infant. After the Civil War ended in 1865, he and his brother were raised by the white couple who had previously owned them ... life is always more curious than we can imagine. He went to school obsessively from childhood on, and after much frustration from the racism of the time he eventually earned a Master’s degree in botany. Among other things, he was very concerned with what the mono-cropping of cotton was doing both to the soil and to the people. For the soil, he was one of the earliest people to recommend crop rotation with nitrogen-fixing plants ... a practice that we followed on the ranch. I remember reading that he was an early advocate of that and being proud to be still following his prescient lead. Source: https:// rosebyanyothernameblog. wordpress.com/2017/02/01/ black-history-on-the-ranch/

SILVER BUSINESS SUPPORTERS Ewor (Pty) Ltd Land Resources International Panda Bamboo Products South African Sugar Association Super Stone Mining (Pty) Ltd Tswalu Kalahari Reserve

PLATINUM BUSINESS SUPPORTERS Afrisam South Africa (Pty) Ltd New Vaal Colliery/Anglo Operations (Pty) Ltd Rose Foundation Woolworths GOLD BUSINESS SUPPORTERS Arcelormittal South Africa Ltd, Newcastle Works Barberton Mines (Pty) Ltd Deloitte and Touche Derivco (Pty) Ltd Ecoguard Biosciences (Pty) Ltd Heartland Leasing (Pty) Ltd Hollard Life Assurance Company Idwala Lime ImproChem (Pty) Ltd Indian Ocean Export Company (Pty) Ltd Johnson and Johnson (Pty) Ltd Lake International Technologies (Pty) Ltd Leisure Development Company (Pty) Ltd NPC-Cimpor Oilkol (Pty) Ltd Old Mutual Orion Engineered Carbons (Pty) Ltd Pick ‘n Pay Transnet National Ports Authority of South Africa The Success Academy (TSA Properties) Sishen Iron Ore Company (Pty) Ltd Samancor Chrome Limited NGOs, WESSA is dependent on the generous support and donations from its corporate members. Here, we would like to acknowledge these companies for their contribution to caring for the Earth. As one of South Africa’s oldest and largest membership-based

BRONZE BUSINESS SUPPORTERS Bright Idea Project 66 (Pty) Ltd Caltex Mpumalanga North Marketer Chennells Albertyn Attorneys, Notaries & Conveyancers

DC Design Studio Doculam (Pty) Ltd Exol Oil Refinery (Pty) Ltd Flamingo Casino Gum Tree Lodge Howick Travel cc ISIDIS Agartha Project (Pty) Ltd Karan Beef Feedlot Kleenworx Eco Solutions Komatiland Forests (Pty) Ltd Leriba Lodge ML Accountants (Pty) Ltd Ocean Odyssey Knynsa Peter Greeff & Associates Plattern Golf (Pty) Ltd Plettenberg Bay Country Club Sublimation House (Pty) Ltd Sukuma Distributors (Pty) Ltd Table Mountain Aerial Cableway UIS Analytical Services SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORTERS DC Design Studio Isidis Agartha Project (Pty) Ltd Kleenworx Eco Solutions Leriba Lodge ML Accountants (Pty) Ltd Ocean Odyssey Knysna Rawbardo CC Rawbardo Samgro CC Sani Lodge Backpackers

“I was recently presenting at a workshop of trainee rangers in Zululand and it’s amazing how they loved the magazine – it serves such a critical function”. Judy Mann-Lang, Conservation Strategist, South African Association for Marine Biological Research.

Dr John Ledger Consulting Editor john.ledger@wol.co.za

Selectech (Pty) Ltd Transnet Pipelines Sappi Limited

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GENERAL

GENERAL

INTERNATIONAL AGENCY SUPPORTERS British High Commission, Pretoria CESVI Centre for Environmental Education (Global HandPrints Project) Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) Environmental Education Association of Southern Africa (EEASA) European Union (EU) Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) GIZ GAP (Global Action Plan) UK through HSBC IUCN Maas Maassen NIRAS (global development organisation) SADC Food Agriculture and Natural Resources SWEDESD Swedish Sida UNEP UNESCO United Nations University (UN) USAID LOCAL PARTNER ORGANISATIONS Baakens Valley Community Partnership BirdLife SA Botanical Society of South Africa Earthlife Africa Elephants Alive Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) Game Reserves United GroundTruth Lajuma Research Centre Lapalala Wilderness School Plastics SA Project Rhino KZN Rhodes University (Environmental Learning Research Centre) South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) South African Faith Communities Environment Institute (SAFCEI) Tshwane University of Technology UKZN uShaka Seaworld Water Research Commission Wildlands WWF-SA PROJECT PARTNERS

WESSA MAGAZINES

LOCAL, PROVINCIAL & NATIONAL GOVERNMENT PARTNERS Amathole Municipality Bitou Municipality Cape Agulhas Municipality Capricorn District Municipality Chris Hani District Municipality City of Cape Town Department of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries Department of Basic Education Department of Environmental Affairs Department of Science and Technology (DST) Department of Tourism Department of Water and Sanitation Eden District Municipality Environmental Planning Climate Protection Department (EPCPD) of eThekwini Municipality eThekwini Municipality Free State Department of Economic, Small Business Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (DESTEA) Greater Tubatse Municipality Hessequa Municipality Hibiscus Coast Municipality Knysna Municipality Kouga Municipality KwaDukuza Municipality KZN Department of Economic Development, Tourism and

LOCAL SUPPORTERS Coca-Cola Fortune Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Friends of Twinstreams Trust National Lotteries Development Trust Nedbank Green Trust Mackenzie Foundation Table Mountain Fund (TMF) The Blue Fund The Jobs Fund Umlalazi Tourism Association TRUSTS DG Murray Trust Gower Trust Hans Hoheisen Conservation Trust JB Finlay Trust JW Finlay Trust Lomas Wildlife Protection Trust Maas Maassen Fund Stella and Paul Loewenstein Charitable and Educational Trust The Giving Organisation Trust Volkswagen Community Trust Whitfield Family Trust LOCAL CORPORATE SECTOR SUPPORTERS AECI Anglo American African Bank Coca-Cola Fortune De Beers Development Bank of South Africa Engen Eskom ESRI Ford Wildlife Foundation GIBB Glencore Mondi N3 Toll Concession (Pty) Ltd (N3TC)

Over the past 90 years, WESSA has made an enormous contribution to conservation and environmental legislation, compliance and in promoting public participation, both locally and internationally. An important part of this contribution has been the raising of issues and sharing of information through the African Wildlife , and later the Environment magazines. African Wildlife was launched in 1946 and grew to become the second-longest standing newsletter and magazine in South Africa. In 2009, after much research and partnership, WESSA was one of the founding partners in the launch of Environment - people and conservation in Africa . Environment magazine incorporated African Wildlife and brought together key conservation groups in South Africa that include: • Endangered Wildlife Trust • Cape Leopard Trust • Game Rangers’ Association of Africa • SANCCOB • Wilderness Foundation • Wildlands Conservation Trust • South African Association for Marine Biological Research In addition to providing information on WESSA’s activities and achievements, Environment also reported on the many areas in which conservation organisations are working collaboratively for the benefit of all. Environment tackled pressing conservation and environmental issues and provided fascinating, credible, authoritative, well-researched information that aimed to empower and inspire readers to take action for the good of the environment. Unfortunately, over time, the various NGOs withdrew leading up to the final decision in early 2016 to close the publication. The final bumper issue 25 of the Environment magazine reached members by end August 2016. With the above as background WESSA took the decision to reintroduce African Wildlife & Environment , which is especially apt as the magazine would have been 70 this year. WESSA is therefor proud to bring you this AfricanWildlife and Environment magazine after a 5-year absence.

Environmental Affairs Mandeni Municipality

Nampak Nedbank Nestle Orion Engineered Carbons PetroSA Rose Foundation Richards Bay Minerals RMB SAPREF

Mossel Bay Municipality Ndlambe Municipality Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality

For information or subscriptions John Wesson 083 444 7649 john.wesson@wessa.co.za

Overstrand Municipality Polokwane Municipality Umdoni Municipality

SASOL Tronox RedCap Foundation TSB

uMhlathuze Municipality Western Cape Department of Environmental Affairs & Development Planning (DEADP)

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GENERAL

GENERAL

GOOD READS Kruger Birds

Light-hearted bedtime reading

Book reviews by John Ledger

Muirhead, David (2016). The Bedside Ark. A riotous assembly of unrespectable creatures. Struik Nature, an imprint of Penguin Random House South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Cape Town. Soft cover, 22x15 cm, 144 pp, illustrated by B/W sketches. ISBN 978-1- 77584 -461-7. R160 . This book presents 42 short accounts of some of our interesting wild creatures. From Aardvark to zebra and many in between, these little essays contain much of interest, and David Muirhead draws on his extensive knowledge to enrich the tales. Basing his accounts on accurate detail, the author captures the wonderful and sometimes weird lives of his subjects, investigating their often exaggerated reputations, habits, weaknesses and strategies. We meet the wilfully ignorant Ostrich, the Houdini-like Honey Badger, the precariously specialised Klipspringer, the curvaceous sports-model Springbok and the recklessly insensitive hyena. The writing is sharp – the honeyguide

Tarboton, Warwick & Peter Ryan (2016). Guide to Birds of the Kruger National Park. Struik Nature, an imprint of Penguin Random House South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Cape Town. Soft cover, 21x14 cm, 224 pp, illustrated in colour throughout with photographs and maps. ISBN 978 1-775 84-449-5. R250 .

As an internationally renowned wildlife destination, South Africa’s Kruger National Park was visited by 4 167 216 people in the 2014/15 financial year. Apart from the spectacular large mammal fauna, more than 500 species of birds have been described from this premier destination. In this new book more than 400 of the more common or likely to be seen species are described and illustrated by colour photographs. There are distribution maps based on actual sightings of the birds, which help birders narrow down the identity of the beauty in their binoculars. There is also an introduction describing the KNP’s underlying geology, vegetation types, climate and rainfall, and how these drive the distribution of birds within the park. Both authors are outstanding bird photographers and the images are superb. A highly recommended new addition to our birding literature, and certainly a must have for all visitors to the Kruger National Park. Okavango

‘sends a tweet’ to the Honey Badger about the location of the hive. And in the vignette on the Indian House Crow, I recognised Dr Aldo Berruti who was charged by the City of Durban to exterminate the introduced birds. After his first successes, the birds got to recognise him anywhere in town, chastising him noisily and staying well out of range!

Natural History

Carruthers, Vincent (Editor) (2016). Wildlife of Southern Africa – A field guide to the animals and plants of the region. Struik Nature, an imprint of Penguin Random House South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Cape Town. Soft cover, 21x15 cm, 336 pp, illustrated in colour throughout with drawings and maps. ISBN 978-1-7758-4353-5. R300 .

Butchart, Duncan (2016). Wildlife of the Okavango. Struik Nature, an imprint of Penguin Random House South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Cape Town. Soft cover, 21x15 cm, 144 pp, illustrated in colour throughout with photographs and a double-spread map. ISBN 978-1-77584-338 2. R150. Botswana’s vast inland lake, the Okavango Delta, is one of nature’s most spectacular showpieces, an intricate wetland ecosystem surrounded by dry savanna. Duncan Butchart is a gifted naturalist, photographer and illustrator and he uses these skills to introduce the reader to more than 470 of the Delta’s most conspicuous and interesting mammals, bird, reptiles, frogs, fish, invertebrates, trees and aquatic plants. Excellent photographs are coupled with concise text describing the species in question – all this helps to identify the subject. The treatment of birds is particularly good, as the resident population is swelled by numbers of migrants during the summer months. To understand the Okavango you need to understand the underlying geology, topography, climate, vegetation and the habitats

Described as ‘The All-in-one Guide to Animal and Plant Groups in the Region’, this is a revised and streamlined revision of the book first published in 1997. Vincent Carruthers is a noted authority on frogs, but his wide knowledge of natural history makes him an ideal person to co-ordinate the work of the nine collaborating authors who contributed to the specialised sections, from invertebrates, fish, frogs, reptiles, birds mammals, and plants. Given the renowned biodiversity of southern Africa, it is a daunting task to give a comprehensive overview of the animals and plants of the region. Over 2 000 of these are described, with a coloured illustration, a concise description and, in most cases, a distribution map. This book will be very useful to anyone interested in natural history, to young people and school teachers as a guide to biodiversity, and to tourists to the region who don’t want to carry around a rucksack full of specialised field guides. As an all-in-one guide, it does the job!

which support the Delta’s abundant biodiversity. Botswana’s policy of high value, low volume tourism sees more than 50,000 visitors come to the Delta every year. This handy little book is an invaluable guide to the many tourists who come here from Europe and North America – highly recommended!

The Birder’s Bible

Chittenden, Hugh, Greg Davies & Ingrid Weiersbye (2016). Roberts Bird Guide, Second Edition. The John Voelker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town. Flexicover and hardcover, 29x22 cm, 571 pp, colour illustrations, photos and maps. ISBN 978-1-92060 -201-7 (Flexicover); 978-1-92060 -201-7978-1-92060 -202-4 (hardcover). R280 (flexicover), R320 (hardcover). Distributed by Jacana Media. The Birds of South Africa by Austin Roberts, illustrated by Norman Lighton was published on 8 June 1940. The book was funded by the South African Bird Book Fund, and proved to be hugely successful, with over 300 000 copies of the various revised editions being sold – it was truly the South African ‘Birder’s Bible’. Now 76 years later, we have a completely new, redesigned, up to date ‘Roberts’ that is a magnificent and eminently worthy successor to those that came before, and a fitting tribute to the memory of Austin Roberts. The new book is excellent in every respect, with numerous new illustrations by Ingrid Weiersbye as well as many splendid photographs. The book deals with nearly 1,000 species and has 240

Insects

Picker, Mike & Charles Griffiths (2016). Pocket Guide: Insects of South Africa. Struik Nature, an imprint of Penguin Random House South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Cape Town. Soft cover, 18x11 cm, 152 pp, illustrated in colour throughout with photographs, drawings and distribution maps. ISBN 978-1- 77584 -195-12. R150.

With over 100 000 insects known from South Africa, you have got to be a very good ‘information compactor’ to squeeze just a fraction of them into a little book that will fit into your pocket! The authors are up to the task, and cleverly operate at the level of insect families, and then give one or more examples at family, genus or species level (where this is known). The result is rather successful, and the 260 insects featured are certainly representative of what an interested person might encounter around South Africa. The photographs are generally very good, and each insect has a useful concise description and a distribution map, arranged four to a page, occasionally three. Some of the common names -such as ‘Balbyter sugar ant’ may not be familiar to non-South Africans! This is a useful little booklet to carry into the field, or to have at hand for when some new creature comes into your garden or home.

coloured plates. Because of the financial backing of the John Voelker Bird Book Fund, it is possible to put this book onto the market for the extremely modest price of R280 for the ‘flexicover’ version, outstanding value for money. Congratulations and thanks to everyone involved in this project!

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CONSERVATION

CONSERVATION

CONSERVATION EXPANSION

• Lack of adequate communal governance structures for equitable decision-making. • Insufficient support to assist communities in building governance capacity. • Removal of trust deficits between communities and the private sector around securities pertaining to any possible investment. • Delivery of promises made by government on wildlife development. • Capacitybuildingandawarenesswithincommunities around the potential of the biodiversity economy and the ability to generate sustainable socio economic benefits (especially the youth).

provide incentives for people to conserve them (2) . Both consumptive and non-consumptive uses of biological resources are fundamental to the economies, cultures, and well-being of all nations. The IUCN, as well as CITES, also recognise that “the ethical, wise and sustainable use of some wildlife can provide an alternative or supplementary means of productive land-use, and can be consistent with and encourage conservation, where such use is in accordance with appropriate safeguards.” Further to this, in 2015, the South African government through the Department of Environmental Affairs,

The pressing questions are: how can our biodiversity richness translate into financial growth for communities, and is it possible to get rural economic growth by employing a complementary land-use?

Chris Galliers

areas are under private ownership. Some of the main barriers to expansion include cost of land, undefined land tenure, inability of the state to purchase new land for conservation, capacity to manage more land, land claims and possibly not being able to respond fast enough to possible land sales. Many of these challenges have been accepted by the state with the Biodiversity Stewardship Programme being an important mechanism to assist in attaining new key areas. So, the pressing questions are how can our biodiversity richness translate into financial growth for communities, and is it possible to get rural economic growth by employing a complementary land-use? WESSA certainly believes this is possible and is thus a proponent for the sustainable use of natural resources. Such a view is also upheld by the IUCN (of which WESSA is a founding member), which states that using wild natural resources sustainably, is an important conservation tool because the societal and economic benefits derived from such use, can

Conserving biodiversity is now a necessity rather than a luxury due to the life support services that it renders to all living species. Ecosystems are being destroyed and their functionality eroded, at an ever-escalating rate. Correspondingly, species loss is exhibiting the same trend. The accelerated speed at which this is taking place is unfortunately outstripping our ability to adequately address the root causes and drivers of these threats - e.g. population densification, land transformation, poor governance, and political indifference (1) . Therefore, there is a growing view that a more urgent approach to land banking is needed where the amount of conservation land under some level of formal legal protection is rapidly increased while the opportunity exists. South Africa has 10% of the world’s plant species and 7% of the world’s reptile, bird, and mammal species. As an expected safe haven for biodiversity, South Africa’s protected area estate is becoming increasingly difficult to expand as most of the priority

• Capacity building and awareness of municipalities to understand the opportunities and benefits presented by the biodiversity economy and the role that they can play in facilitating its development. • Improved coordination and communication between all relevant government departments. • The development of equitable, efficient, and transparent benefit sharing to beneficiaries. • Ability to document, share and replicate successful economic models. There are already examples of communities which have committed land to conservation through the Biodiversity Stewardship Programme. Some of these have been legally enforced as the land-use was already designated as conservation at the time of receiving the land because of a

restitution land claim. In other cases, it has been a community decision. Unfortunately, the concept of game farming is not a well-accepted, understood or often practiced land use by communities. The reason for this may lie in the historical nature of who had ownership over land and wildlife in South Africa. However today, without landownership rights, it still remains a challenge for communities to conserve wildlife where boundaries and selected practices can be enforced. Extensive areas mean any wildlife can move from one area to another which would result in poaching. On top of this, many communities have been made numerous promises by both the government and private entities and in many cases, very little has materialised. This breakdown in support means trust levels decrease and the ability to set up new projects and ventures becomes increasingly difficult as a result of increased skepticism. It also means that any new investment made in a trust deficit scenario, needs to rapidly result in tangible returns. If trust levels never develop into a collaborative relationship, any project will fail with even more frustration as a result.

launched the National Biodiversity Economy Strategy. This 14-year strategy aims to; (i) optimise the direct and indirect and induced economic benefits from sustainable use of the country’s indigenous biological resources; (ii) provide national coordination, leadership and guidance to the biodiversity economy, and (iii) provide an enabling environment for the transformation of the biodiversity economy in the country. It is WESSA’s belief that the greatest opportunity to get more land and people involved in conservation, is by getting communities to understand that having the land under some level of conservation is an investment that can compete or complement alternative or traditional land-use practices. This should bode well for rural development but before getting the communities aboard, who stand to benefit the most from this opportunity, a few hurdles will have to be overcome. Below are some of the key areas that need attention in order to capitalise on growing rural community economies; • The resolution of land claims and in general, land tenure within South African communities.

Getting communities to see and experience how the wildlife economy can work is vital so that they can develop the capacity needed to successfully develop their own opportunities.

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CONSERVATION

CONSERVATION

POSITION STATEMENT

but most importantly and secondly, because we know that it is ecologically sustainable. Overall the wildlife industry has shown continued growth against a backdrop of a contracting economy. Between 2008 and 2013, the sector grew by more than 14% (3) . Furthermore, based on the past performance data, it is estimated that there will be between 4-14% annual growth for the next 13 years. This is good news, but there are activities which are included in the data and contribute to this growth but are not supported by WESSA as they are not aligned to our position on sustainable utilisation (e.g. canned hunting, intensive wildlife breeding and production systems). Many communities have a range of livestock. The owning of livestock is often important for both consumption and cultural purposes. Where there is livestock in extensive areas, there is also an opportunity for communities to include compatible wildlife species.

So, what are the real opportunities in the biodiversity economy for communities? There are two main value chains which have been identified in the National Biodiversity Economy Strategy (2015), namely bioprospecting and the wildlife industry. With an estimated market size of nearly R2.1 billion in 2012, the bioprospecting industry and the opportunities it presents cannot be ignored. However, for the purpose of this article we will focus more on the second value chain, namely the wildlife industry for communities. As mentioned, there are several communities that possess some of the key ingredients to easily plug into the wildlife economy. This includes expansive areas of land which can host a range of indigenous species with limited input. Extensive systems are the easy entry into the market and arguably they offer the greatest level of economic sustainability because firstly, they can deliver a range of economic outputs

there is a growing number of local hunters - estimated to be about 300 000 who contributed ± R8.6 billion in 2015 (6) – as well as the international market. Hunting on extensive communal land seems to be an area that could see significant growth. Many of these hunters may be less averse to hunting on extensive mixed cattle and game areas than international trophy hunters. Trophy hunting is a premium wildlife product. At the recent Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP 17) in Johannesburg, the following resolution on trade in hunting trophies was adopted; “well-managed and sustainable trophy hunting is consistent with and contributes to species conservation, as it provides both livelihood opportunities for rural communities and incentives for habitat conservation, and generates benefits which can be invested for conservation purposes”. Hunting also creates job opportunities for skilled and semi-skilled labour, with many of these skills being latent within communities. According to Wildlife Ranching South Africa, wildlife ranching provides up to three times the number of jobs than livestock farming. Added to this is the potential for the development of associated local industries (e.g. crafts, furniture, tanning etc.). Eco-tourismhas been painted as one of the solutions for communities that have land under some level of conservation status. This is a sustainable economic activity that can be a good income generator, especially in marginal landscapes. In 2013 an estimated 56 million foreign tourists visited Africa and spent 34.2 billion USD. By 2030, it is expected that the revenue generated will be 134 USD million with South Africa and Kenya taking the lion’s share. The reason for this is that 80% of these tourists travel to Africa to view wildlife (7) . However, developing a name in the destination market takes time as well as requires a much higher financial investment, especially when looking to cater for international clientele. Thankfully South Africa has buoyant domestic tourism markets which are easier to access and less fickle than international markets. Finally, communities can also choose a model which is a mix of any of the above wildlife economy opportunities. There are even some models in Africa which have successfully incorporated livestock farming and Big 5 viewing as part of their tourism product (e.g. Northern Rangeland Trust – livestock to Markets programme in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy (8) . The opportunities highlighted above are real for several communities in South Africa. WESSA together with a number of other organisations, are working on developing strong wildlife-basedmodels which can contribute significantly to the conservation of South Africa’s natural resources base that generates ecological services and sustainable benefits to communities. We must not think that our rich biodiversity heritage will be safe within our formally protected areas as most of it lies beyond these parks’ borders. Mainstreaming natural resources conservation into national development agendas is vital, as is the establishment of strong partnerships for their implementation. We need to empower communities to reap the rewards of well-managed natural resources, for if we achieve this, we all stand to benefit.

WESSA supports the sustainable utilisation of natural resources where the use is backed by defendable and justifiable data which conclusively reflects that sustainability can be achieved. However, where there is scientific uncertainty, the precautionary principle must be applied. For a resource to be used, WESSA expects it to be acquired in a way that is humane, ethical, in accordance with best practice principals and relevant legislation. BIODIVERSITY STEWARDSHIP The Biodiversity Stewardship Programme assists national and provincial government in fulfilling its mandate to conserve biodiversity outside of state owned protected areas, in terms of the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas (Act 57 of 2003) and Biodiversity (Act 10 of 2004) Acts. The programme helps to implement provincial conservation plans through a consistent, national, landscape-scale approach to stewardship. Essentially, Biodiversity Stewardship is a highly cost-effective mechanism for expanding protected areas.

As can be seen from the graph below, wildlife and livestock can co exist to generate meat (including all usable products such as hides) and live sales with low ecological input. Sales of wildlife products amounted to R4.5 billion in 2014 and live sales through auctions, totaled R1.1 billion (4) . There are several wildlife species that utilise different parts of the vegetation layer. Quite simply, a cow is largely a grazer, and a kudu a browser and can make use of trees and grass on the same unit of land, increasing productivity (meat or live sale of the kudu or cow). The diversity of species adds to improved ecological functioning. However, good management of the area still needs to be applied for maximum, sustainable beneficiation. The next opportunity is that of hunting which contributes over 800 USD million per annum (2015) to South Africa’s economy and 70% of the annual revenue generated by the wildlife industry (5) . Hunting remains resilient in that

EXTENSIVE SYSTEM

Tourism

Hunting

Meat & live sales

Economic Output

VISION

For all land with high biodiversity value outside of formally protected areas to have secure

Ecological Inputs Adapted from Child, B. 2013 Presentation to Sci entific Authority

legal protection through conservation stewardship

agreements and be linked to a network of other conservation areas in the landscape. This will be based on strong partnerships between conservation agencies and landowners that result in good biodiversity management practice and in tangible benefits for landowners. www.kznwildlife.com/ conservation/stewardship/ biodiversity-stewardship-sa.html

(1) Larger than elephants - Inputs for an EU strategic approach to wildlife conservation in Africa – Synthesis, European Commission, Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development. 2015 (2) Sustainable Use: IUCN Policy Statement. Adopted 2000 – website: http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/policy_en.pdf (3) National Environmental Management; Biodiversity Act, 2004 (Act N. 10 of 2004): Biodiversity Economy Strategy (2015) (4) Hunting and Wildlife Associations of South Africa (HAWASA), CoP 17, Johannesburg October, 2016 (5) Hunting and Wildlife Associations of South Africa, CITES, CoP 17, Johannesburg Oct 2016 (6) Tourism Research in Economics, Environment and Society, North West University, Potchestroom

Chris Galliers Senior Manager: Wildlife & Conservation Initiatives

033 330 3931 079 504 4296 chris@wessa.co.za

(7) Lubbe, B. et al. 2016. Presentation at the Conservation Symposium, Howick, KZN. (8) http://www.olpejetaconservancy.org/community/economic-projects/nrt-trading/

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CONSERVATION AN EVER-CHANGING LANDSCAPE

CONSERVATION

The future of conservation is in our hands and time has run out as urban sprawl engulfs those last green spaces and natural corridors. So let us join hands and create that world worthy of our children.

Daily, in South Africa, one is faced with the loss of vast tracts of land, green belts and important green spaces in cities and towns. In many cases essential green corridors for all types of wildlife are being lost in man’s quest to utilise every remaining piece of open space. This is coupled with inadequate resources and expertise to manage such areas. This short-sighted attitude, along with in many cases, lack of political will, necessary funding, lack of staff and loss of expertise, is amplifying the problem. More and more one hears of the need for alternatives to government structures to be put in place, to ensure that there will be “ A world worthy of our children “ in time to come. The viable alternative is the establishment of Conservancies in all provinces , thus adding to the existing 750 plus conservancies today, covering over 3 million ha throughout Southern Africa What is a Conservancy? In short a conservancy is a registered voluntary association, established between landowners, residents and other users with the shared aim of managingtheirnaturalresourcesinanenvironmentally sustainable manner, without necessarily changing the land-use of their properties. In short it has no red tape or hidden agendas, no direct state involvement, but provides the platform for all residents of a special area to conserve for posterity. The main characteristics of any South African conservancy will almost always include: • Natural resources or green spaces, corridors on an identified geographical area that are worth protecting; • Owners, land users and possibly other stakeholders that have agreed to pool resources and work together for achieving sustainable usage and conservation objectives, as set from time to time in their environmental management plan; • Varying levels of success, commitment and awareness of what is going on, what is being done and what the real risks are at any given time. A well-run or optimally functioning conservancy will be characterised by: • Visible leadership shared among residents and possibly some specialists who communicate openly and contribute unselfishly, for the greater good of all the members; • Functional projects and activities for promoting the community and conserving resources in a planned manner, supported widely by residents who are

John Wesson

positive and involved; • Provision of opportunities for research projects for local universities. An excellent example of this is research work carried out on the Aloe peglerae by the University of Witwatersrand in the Peglerae conservancy over a number of years. • Harmony and mutual respect among the different population groupings who trust each other through the fairness and caring rather than indifference and exclusion; • A positive experience of the natural features such as clean roadsides, well-maintained facilities, indigenous plant flourishing, improved security, proudly preserved historical features and tourist friendly services and signage; • Positive attitudes from local public and other service providers who are aligned with the values of a positively inclined community. In the beginning The first conservancy to be registered in South Africa was in the Balgowan district of the KwaZulu Natal midlands in 1978, born out of an appeal to the erstwhile Natal Parks Board for help due to the increased pressure of illegal hunting within rural areas and within the regions dominated by organized agriculture . This appeal was answered and through the work of interested members of the public, the Wildlife Society (now WESSA) and the wellknown conservationist, Nick Steele (at that stage employed by the Natal Parks Board), the conservancy movement was born. The concept was so successful that other districts within the province started their own conservancies. As the movement began to grow it became apparent that there was a need to consolidate the interests of all conservancies under a single umbrella body. This mobilization of common interests gave rise to the establishment of the Natal Conservancies Association (the NCS, now the KwaZulu Natal Conservancies Association, KZNCS). The NCS became the portal through which the conservancy movement could liaise directly with the provincial nature conservation

Key buffer areas of the Magaliesberg

agency and link up with other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with common interests in conserving their natural environment. Since these early days of the conservancy movement there have been many changes. Perhaps the most significant has been the expansion of the concept from its earlier focus on the preservation of flora and fauna in rural areas, into its current state which encompasses a broader range of urban and rural habitats and applicable issues. As the issues affecting nature conservation in South Africa have changed drastically from the 1970’s to present day, so too have the issues important to the conservancy movement. With the conservancy movement well established in KwaZulu Natal, other provinces like the OFS began to adopt the model and soon a number of conservancies were established in other provinces. However, as there was only one province with a constituted provincial association, there were often divergent and sometimes conflicting viewpoints as to what a conservancy ought to be. Some believed that it was a concept that was exclusive to rural districts and concerned itself purely with the preservation

of indigenous game species. Others believed that the name “conservancy” was just wrong! This led to another great milestone in the evolution of the conservancy movement in South Africa. In August 2003 a group of dynamic individuals from the (then) newly formed Gauteng Conservancies Association (GCA) hosted a conference at Cullinan in Gauteng. People from all over the country, involved in environmental conservation in one form or another, were invited. At this conference the idea of establishing a national body to represent the interests of all conservancies in the country was tabled. Although, at that stage, only Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal had properly constituted provincial conservancy associations, the idea was accepted and those provinces without associations nominated people to represent their interests on the association until such time as they were able to form their own provincial associations. This was the inception of the National Association of Conservancies of South Africa NACSA (now known as the National Association of Conservancies and Stewardship of South Africa). The term “conservancy” is not unique to South

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CONSERVATION

CONSERVATION

Africa and can be found in other countries, both in Africa and globally. The Save Valley Conservancy in Zimbabwe was at one time the largest conservancy (in terms of land area) on the African continent. The movement has also become popular in Namibia that has established its own national conservancies association, CANAM (Conservancies Association of Namibia). The United States of America has the Nature Conservancy movement. However this differs from what we commonly know as a conservancy. Instead of residents of a community or district taking responsibility for the environmental management of their surroundings, money is raised to purchase land and in so doing secures its preservation for future generations. South Africa however, is unique in that it recognises

So the question arises “why register a conservancy ?” Firstly, the conservancy name and logo is a recognized movement which espouses certain norms and standards of operation. The logo is a registered trademark. As with any affiliation, be it a sports club or a professional institute, membership allows certain privileges which are not generally open to non members. In so doing, associations can aid and be represented by registered members as well as distance themselves from committees or individuals which have the potential to bring all other members into disrepute. In so doing the conservancymovement is able to function in a democratic manner for the benefit of all its members. Established conservancies should address the following:

instances results in some turning to crime, including some of the activities outlined below. Many areas, especially where mine closures have taken place ,have seen the rapid growth of informal settlements with little or no services and in many instances in or adjoining sensitive areas. • Conflict between humans and wildlife, which includes the dramatic rise in poaching mainly through the setting of snares, which decimate the wildlife in a region, and the illegal and unsustainable harvesting of wood which is no longer just for subsistence use but for commercial sale. • Too frequent burning of large tracts of land for grazing purposes beyond what the natural cycles can tolerate, thus impacting heavily on fauna and flora in the area. Fire damage to mountain wetlands can result in poor water retention and in time the demise of river catchments. • Bush meat trade is also a growing practice where there is clear evidence that the unsustainable scale of the poaching is no longer for family survival but commercial financial gain. • Security issues within the conservancies, especially for tourism related activities like hiking trails. Several hikers have been attacked in recent years in areas of the Magaliesberg. • The degradation and erosion of land, often resulting from many years of poor farming practices, is a major inhibitor to the rehabilitation of some areas, resulting in high cost rehabilitation having to be carried out before progress can be made. • With rising populations and the demand for land as well as farming expanding into natural forest remnants, large areas are being impacted on. i.e. farming for biofuel production resulting in major biodiversity loss. • Alien invasive species, especially plants, are having a major impact in most areas, putting enormous pressure on resources to combat them, along with the loss of ecosystems services through biodiversity loss to the aliens. • Degradation and depletion of natural resources, especially water, often highly polluted by surrounding cities from both industrial and sewage effluent. This is on the increase as the management of for example sewage farms, is non-existent or highly compromised. An example of this is Hartbeespoort Dam. • Mining (legal and illegal) being a direct threat to the core areas. The possibility of mining permitted in highly sensitive areas through lack of expertise, and accountability in governing structures. Many of these mines in the early years were abandoned with no government actions being taken to force the owners to rehabilitate the areas resulting in the major scars in the landscape. A good example is the abandoned granite mines around Brits.

• Improper waste disposal and management, where illegal dumping often takes place in these natural areas that are not monitored all the time. Actions by conservancies to tag offenders and get them back to remove such illegal waste dumping, is having a positive effect in some areas. • Lack of proper institutions, accountability, transparency, weak governance, lack of legal basis and legitimacy. • Environmental Impact Assessment regulations especially 24G, which in many instances is still being used as a loop hole by unscrupulous developers. A concern is the ongoing push by Government to fast track the EIA process for “development” at all costs, and not allowing time for the real long term impacts to be assessed especially where specialist studies have to be carried out. Comments like, a rare or endangered species can be dug out or relocated, belong to a previous millennium. Conservancies are encouraged to form partnerships with other organisations like EWT, Birdlife SA, Rotary clubs and WESSA. A number of conservancies have strengthened this relationship by becoming affiliated to WESSA. In fact NACSSA has been a WESSA affiliate for a number of years. The Department of Environmental Affairs is currently looking at ways to strengthen the role of conservancies, in the greater conservation mix in this country, as they look at conservation expansion strategies going forward. The future of Conservation is in our hands and time has run out as urban sprawl engulfs those last green spaces and natural corridors. So let’s join hands and create that world worthy of our children. Further reading and information • Amer, W, Ashong, S. & Tjomoko D (2015). Management Manual for UNESCO Biosphere Reserves in Africa.German Commission for UNESCO, Germany • This article includes information from Trafford Petterson (Vice Chairman NACSSA). • www.nacsa.org.za

NACSSA celebrates 10 years

that the conservancy movement is just as applicable in the urban and industrial context as it is in the ‘wilds’. As time goes by Conservancies are being seen more and more as the cornerstone of protecting our rural and urban environment and have been the key building blocks in many cases of the Biospheres throughout the country, forming a large part of the buffer zones of these reserves. An example is the newly established Magaliesberg Biosphere where the core zone is surrounded by six established registered conservancies plus an eco-estate and bird sanctuary conservancy with two more covering a vast area in the process of registering. Today there are still a number of areas where groups call themselves conservancies but are not registered.

• Conservation of all the natural features that will ensure an ecology including people activities on a sustainable basis for the future wellbeing of all inhabitants; • Social needs to maintain harmony and prevent overuse of the natural resources by people without basic means for a decent living; • Economic development that will grow peace and prosperity for all to ensure effective commitment to the conservation and social considerations. • Challenges facing Biospheres are mirrored in the conservancies and include: • Large scale poverty, population growth and health problems, which put great pressure on the environment; youth unemployment which in many

John Wesson Conservation Specialist 083 444 7649079 504 4296 john.wesson@wessa.co.za

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