African Wildlife and Environment Issue 68

ECO-HERO

ECO-HERO

Park is now included as part of the UNESCO Cape Floral Region World Heritage Site. Dr Robinson was not shy to say something when it mattered, and in 2016 he was a strong voice against the opening of the MPA for fishing by the Tsitsikamma community. In that year Environment Minister Edna Molewa declared that the MPA should be partially opened and recreational fishing rights awarded to the Tsitsikamma community applicants. This was on the grounds that the applicants’ forebears used to fish the area before it was closed off, she said. And speaking to The Herald newspaper shortly after the minister’s declaration, Robinson said he found the decision mind-boggling, and that even if some sections of the MPA remained closed they would also be negatively affected. Despite Dr Robinson’s protestations it is a matter of record that on 19 December 2016 the Tsitsikamma National Park Marine Protected Area Declaration Notice was published in the Government Gazette 40510. This Notice allows limited fishing by members of local communities to fish 20% of the coastline in three areas of the MPA. CONSERVATION WITHOUT BOUNDARIES Eden to Addo Such was the vision of Dr Robinson that he readily accepted when asked to serve as the first CEO of the Eden to Addo Corridor Initiative (E2A) when it was established in 2006. The dream of the E2A initiative is to link, by means of natural corridors,

three mega-reserves - the Garden Route National Park, the Baviaanskloof World Heritage Site and the Addo Elephant National Park. When realised, these connecting corridors will restore and provide protection for bio-diversity and eco-system functioning over a continuous distance of 400 km. When finally completed, the E2A will re-establish ancient elephant migration paths across the Cape, opening up routes that would also benefit the movement of other wildlife while restoring the ecological balance of the region. This is not a short term programme but it is gaining momentum with each year that goes by, and winning support from individuals, other conservation bodies and other countries. Protected environments In yet another ground-breaking initiative, Dr Robinson and a fewvisionary landownersmade an application in 2011 to Anton Bredel, the Minister for Environmental Affairs and Development Planning of the Western Cape Province, to declare its members’ properties a Protected Environment (PE) in terms of the National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act. The properties comprise an ecologically sensitive and threatened 20 km stretch of unspoiled coastline between Robberg Nature Reserve and Harkerville State Forest, in the middle of the Garden Route. After listening to the arguments put forward by Dr Robinson and his colleagues, the Minister signed the declaration on 31 August 2015 that recognised the 20 km coastline as a Protected Environment.

This 1998 picture shows Robbie Robinson with Prince Philip the Duke of Ediburgh about to board a helicopter to Table Mountain at the time that the Table Mountain National Park was established. With them is Dr Enos Mabuza the head of the (then) KaNgwane homeland.

International contributions In 1999 the World Bank asked Dr Robinson to restore the national parks in Uganda to their former glory. They had been in terminal decline since the days of Idi Amin. Tourists had been killed, staff hadn’t been paid and poaching was rife. He spent three years there as head of the Uganda Wildlife Service, got projects going and brought in investments, which revived the parks and brought back tourism. And in 2004 after, a tsunami had struck Thailand, Dr Robinson spent six months as an IUCN volunteer visiting all the islands that had been badly battered, to advise on environmental measures they should take to limit the damage in the event of another tsunami. A man for all the right reasons This has been a challenging article to write. Robbie Robinson was at once a family man and a man of peace who never sought the limelight while at the same time he was a strong-willed maverick who pursued his conservation goals relentlessly. It is hoped that this article has opened some of the windows on his life so that others can see what is possible when one person takes up the challenge.

Robbie Robinson died on 15 May 2017 after a lifetime of fighting for environmental protection. He was a true Eco-Hero who spent his life ‘making a difference’ in conservation, and those who continue on to make a difference can draw on the example set by this extraordinary human being who made a difference when the difference mattered.

Thanks In preparing this tribute, liberal use has been made of obituaries by Guy Rogers (writing in The Herald and Weekend Post ) and Chris Barron (writing in The Sunday Times ).

Dr Lynn Hurry The Honorary Editor of the Eco-Heroes series is Dr Lynn Hurry. Suggestions for future articles will be welcomed and may be sent to him at: lynn@ecology.co.za 083 361 2658

In 2011 Dr Robinson was awarded WESSA’s Gold Award for his outstanding contribution to environmental conservation. Making the award was Mumsie Gumede the then CEO of WESSA. In attendance was his wife Joh Robinson (left)

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