African Wildlife and Environment Issue 65

ENVIROBYTES

ENVIROBYTES

A sustainable Benguela Current ecosystem is the lifeblood of the ‘Ocean Economy’ on Southern Africa’s West Coast – supporting fisheries, tourism and recreation, and thousands of jobs. Like any living system it needs regular health check-ups. Significant progress in identifying the best ways to do this was made at a workshop in Cape Town on 22/3 March, 2017. Scientists, government officials, business and civil society representatives discussed how best to measure and monitor both the economic value and environmental health of the diverse and inter-linked ‘ecosystem services’ provided by the ocean and coastal environment. “This is vital to maintaining the sustainability of the economic and social benefits to the people who rely on the ecosystem,” project leader Dr Samantha Petersen said. “We achieved widespread representation from government and NGOs in sectors including mining, petroleum, environmental management, fisheries and aquaculture. This bodes well for the kind of Benguela Current ecosystem health under the microscope

Jobs fund project makes history with simultaneous graduation of 119 field rangers

The project objectives were two-fold; to train 257 unemployed people from historically disadvantaged communities as field rangers and to create employment opportunities within the conservation sector to help address the skills shortage largely created by the rhino poaching crisis. Over the courseof the two-year initiative, 257 jobs were created with the support of five employer organisations including Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Limpopo Department of Economic Development Environment and Tourism (LEDET), South African National Parks, The Lawrence Anthony Earth Organisation and Wildlands Conservation Trust.

The Southern African Wildlife College’s recent Field Ranger graduation ceremony was remarkable for two reasons; it was the biggest in South African history with 119 National Certificates in Nature Conservation: Resource Guardianship being awarded, with half the recipients being female. The ceremonymarked the culmination of a 12-month intensive training programme which was part of a large-scale two-year project by the National Treasury’s Job Fund aimed at bringing about significant change whilst impacting the creation of alternative livelihoods, poverty reduction and socio economic development.

cooperation and collaboration that will be needed to manage the diverse resources and services of the Benguela Current”. She added that the Benguela Current Commission (BCC) has a unique mandate to work across country boundaries, and the workshops highlighted its ability to bring government departments and stakeholder groups together across different sectors. She said participants had also identified the need for working groups that incorporated the diverse sectors in order to support the integrated approach to ecosystem management, as well as a need for a central information system to serve the various sectors.

Issued by: The Southern African Wildlife College 015 793 7300 www.wildlifecollege.org.za

Enquiries Dr Samantha Petersen, Project Leader. 073 237 8185 samalbatross@gmail.com

Jeanné Poultney: Executive Manager Marketing and Fundraising 011 704 4386 | Mobile 082 45 828 45. | jpoultney@sawc.org.za

Mpumalanga MEC approves the declaration of the Greater Lakenvlei Protected Environment

The Greater Lakenvlei area is critical to biodiversity as it harbours all three of South Africa’s crane species, including South Africa’s National Bird, the Blue Crane, and the Critically Endangered Wattled Crane, as well as other threatened species such as White-winged Flufftail. The Greater Lakenvlei Protected Environment falls within the well-known Dullstroom tourism hub that provides a large number of local tourism-related jobs connected to the scenic beauty and outdoor activities in the area. This declaration will enable the continued development of sustainable tourism opportunities within the area.

A major milestone for the conservation of South Africa’s water resources and threatened Highveld grass and wetlands was reached on 7 April 2017, when the MEC for Mpumalanga’s Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs (DARDLEA), Vusi Shongwe, declared the Greater Lakenvlei ProtectedEnvironment nearDullstroom. South Africa’s grasslands and wetlands are poorly represented in formal protected areas and this declaration will now add 14 305 hectares of important grassland and wetland habitat to the network of protected areas within the province. This momentous achievement was made possible through the collaborative efforts of Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) and their NGO partners, the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) and BirdLife South Africa.

Enquiries Brian Morris, MTPA. 084 579 7979 brian.morris@mtpa.co.za

The 2017 Jobs Fund students during the passing out parade held at the Southern African Wildlife College.

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33 | African Wildlife & Environment | 65 (2017)