THE ENVIRONMENTPage 6 8 October 2010
THEMBA KHUMALO
THE Municipality’sEnvironmental Planning andClimate ProtectionDepartment held a day oftheatre and entertainment atthe Botanic Garden’sAmphitheatre recently.
It was to mark the secondanniversary of the DurbanBiodiversity Commitment, aninternational agreementsigned in 2008 by theeThekwini Municipality and20 pioneering localgovernments around theworld to protect and enhancebiodiversity in cities.
The Department’s Jo Boulle
said, “It was about celebratingthe commitment made by thecity. It was a day to have funand enjoy the play.”
Well-known Actor EllisPearson staged a play, Manup a Tree, which highlightedthe importance ofbiodiversity and the rolepeople can play in preservingour natural resources.
Dillon Mather, a Grade 7pupil at Pelham SeniorPrimary in Pietermaritzburg,said, “The play was veryinteresting and entertaining.
“I learned a lot aboutbiodiversity.”
Cast member LoyisoMacDonald said, “The play
was originally written for thewetlands project in Inanda. Itrelays the message about theimportance of conservingnature. Development is good,but not at the expense of ournatural environment. Wehope the play was able todrive that point home toeveryone who attended.”
Deputy Mayor LogieNaidoo ended theprogramme by signing theDurban CitizensCommitment which commitsresidents to protectingbiodiversity. Everyone whoattended the event wasencouraged to sign.
S’CELO KHUZWAYO
ANGLERS who flout the banon fishing from certain beach-front piers will face toughaction, the Municipality haswarned.
The by-laws prohibit fishingfrom any pier unless specific-ally permitted with an officialnotice or sign.
North pier hasfor many yearsbeen off-limits tofishermen but theban was extendedto other piersbefore the start ofthe World Cup.
In a recentreport to theCouncil’s Exec-utive Committee(Exco), City Man-ager Michael Sut-cliffe said a flexible signagesystem was in place on theDairy Beach and Bay of Plentypiers which lets the city allowfishing when circumstancespermitted.
“With the upgrade of thepiers and beachfront, mymanagement teams and Idiscussed the overall policing,by-laws enforcement andmanagement of the beach-front area,” said Sutcliffe.
He said they decided thatfishing would only be allowedon four of the seven beach-front piers: Snake Park; Batt-ery Beach, which is currentlybeing extended, Country Cluband Blue Lagoon.
Parks, Recreation and Cul-
ture Unit Head ThembinkosiNgcobo said that anyonebreaking the by-laws riskedprosecution.
“We have to control fishingas there is always conflictbetween swimmers andpeople who are fishing,”Ngcobo said.
According to Regulation 9(2) of the DurbanSea-Shore Reg-ulations, “noperson shall fishfrom any pier,groyne or stormwater outfall orhave in his poss-ession or controlon any pier,groyne or outfallany fishing tackleor equipment orany other thingdesigned or
intended for use for thepurpose of fishing, includingbait, unless fishing from suchpier, groyne or outfall orportion thereof is permitted asindicated by a notice or signdisplayed in terms of regu-lation 16 and except betweensuch hours as may bespecified in such notice orsign and in accordance withsuch discretions or prohib-itions as may be conveyedthereby”.
Ngcobo said this law hadlong been there but they havebeen too lenient. He said inthe past swimmers had beeninjured as a result of fishingfrom the piers.
Fishingfrom piers:warning
Play gets audience thinking about conservation
MEN WITH A MESSAGE: Ellis Pearson and Loyiso MacDonald in the environmentalawareness play, Man up a Tree, hosted by the Environmental Planning and ClimateProtection Department Picture: THEMBA KHUMALO
SOHANA SINGH
THE Environmental Planningand Climate ProtectionDepartment (EPCPD) of theeThekwini Municipality andlandowners in the Giba Gorgearea have launched the GibaGorge Environmental Pre-cinct. It’s said to be the firstenvironmental Special RatingArea in South Africa.
Department Deputy HeadDebra Roberts said, “A con-certed effort is needed fromstakeholders if we are toensure the protection of whatremains of our open spaces.
“This initiative has drawnattention for a number ofreasons: It is pioneering andshows the increasingly impor-tant role communities canplay in protecting and man-aging their natural environ-ment for future generations.”
In 2005, concerned resi-dents got together to tacklethe environmental threats tothe gorge. With the collabor-ation of landowners, the
Municipality and others, aspecial rating area was form-ed, the first environmentalSRA in the country.
The EPCPD and members ofthe Giba community head theproject. All landowners contri-bute to the management ofthe area through an additionallevy on their rates bill.
The Municipality has alsocontributed significantly toensure the sustainability of a
spectacular forest in the gorge. The project will help protect
the KZN sandstone sourveldgrasslands and scarp forests,which have been classified asendangered and vulnerablerespectively. The gorge is alsohome to a number of rareplants species and animalsand aids residents by puri-fying water and limiting theimpact of floods.
Guests who attended the
launch were treated to a shortwalk through the forest, guid-ed by Giba Gorge Environ-mental Precinct ConservationManager, Thuthuka Majola.
Councillor Jacob Pienaar,who represented Mayor ObedMlaba at the launch, said, “It isthe Municipality’s responsi-bility to identify areas like thisand to find appropriatemeans to conserve and man-age them for the benefit of
citizens. Residents also haveto take action to protect andmanage their natural environ-ment. For us to be successful,a joint effort is needed.Benefits of projects like this goway beyond what meets theeye.”
Mike Lohrentz, a co- found-er of the precinct and com-mittee member, said, “Thisgorge belongs to the childrenof Durban.
“One of our aims is toeducate them about naturalheritage and make them moreaware of the environment.”
Effort to protect Giba Gorge
WEEDBUSTERWeek, led bytheDepartmentof Water
Affairs, and supported by theMunicipality, represents theannual highlight of thecampaign aimed at managingand containing invasive alienspecies (IAS).
Why it is important?IAS have a detrimental
impact on biodiversity,natural resources, economies(agricultural pests, costs ofcontrol) and public health(disease outbreaks,consumption of toxic plants).
In South Africa, IASdecrease water runoff, reducestream flow and availablewater, reduce grazing,increase the costs of fireprotection, and increasedamage from wildfire.
Ecosystems suffer a loss ofbiodiversity due to invasionsby alien species as plants and
animals that are introducedinto new areas no longer facethe natural enemies orcompetition found in theirplace of origin. They thentend to spread prolifically.
What is being done thisyear?
The Municipality has manyprojects and programmesdedicated to controllinginvasive alien plants. Thisyear, to celebrate WeedBusterWeek the EnvironmentalPlanning and ClimateProtection Department(EPCPD) is running aworkshop for staff who dealwith invasive alien plants.
The EPCPD also helpshomeowners and residents toidentify IAS on theirproperties through the“Beautiful but Dangerous”poster series which highlightsome of the mostproblematic invasive alienplants. The educational“Attracting Urban Wildlife”
series helps residents to selectindigenous plant species thatshould preferably be planted.
Campaign themeThe theme for this year’s
Weedbuster Week is “MyRiver, My Life”, and inkeeping with this the publicare encouraged to becomefamiliar with the manyaquatic invaders that must becontrolled. They include:water hyacinth (Eichhorniacrassipes), water lettuce(Pistia stratiotes), Karibaweed (Salvinia molesta), redwater fern (Azollafiliculoides), parrot’s feather(Myriophyllum aquaticum),spiked water-milfoil(Myriophyllum spicatum),dense water weed (Egeriadensa), Canadian water weed(Elodea candensis) andMexican water lily(Nymphaea Mexicana).
Schools’ competitionTo raise awareness oninvasive alien species, the
Wildlife and EnvironmentSociety of South Africa hascompiled a WeedBusterschool activity pack forteachers to use for Grade 8and upwards. [email protected] .
Need help?Anyone with invasive
aquatic weeds in their gardenpond or dam who needs helperadicating it may callWorking for Water, toll-free,,at 0800 005 376 for advice.
If the invasion is smallenough for you to cope with,remove it manually and allowit to dry out and die beforeplacing in a black plastic bagin the sun. Once it hasdecomposed, it is goodcompost. Keep an eye openfor any re-growth.
For more information, visitwww.durban.gov.za/durban/services/epcp orwww.agis.agric.za orwww.invasives.org.za .
National Weed Buster Week, from 4 to 10 October is part of efforts togrow awareness about weeds and alien vegetation. Sohana Singh reports
Why weeds need whackingPRETTY UGLY: Water hyacinth, water lettuce, pickerelweed and Kariba weed are just a few of the morecommon aquatic invaders choking our waters
