From the Centre for Environmental Rights, South Africa: Challenges to Shell’s seismic blasting on South Africa’s Wild Coast
6 DECEMBER 2021
Background
In early 2013 Impact Africa applied for an Exploration Right for petroleum resources in terms of section 79 of the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 2002 (MPRDA). The Application was accompanied by an Environmental Management Programme (EMPr) which was submitted for approval in terms of (the then) section 39 of the MPRDA. After submission of the EMPr, the Petroleum Agency of South Africa (PASA) accepted the application on 1 March 2013, and required a Public Participation Process to be conducted.
PASA and the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy issued Impact Africa with the Exploration Right on 20 May 2014. This right was renewed in 2017 and for the second time in 2020, effective for a period of two years from August 2021.
Royal Dutch Shell PLC and its subsidiaries, as Operator of the Exploration Right, intend to commence with 3D seismic surveys for the exploration of petroleum resources in certain licence blocks off the Wild Coast region of South Africa.
According to the EMPr, the seismic survey involves extremely loud (220 decibels) underwater explosions or discharges at intervals of 10 to 20 seconds which are to continue 24 hours per day for four to five months. The EMPr provides that a vessel will tow an airgun array with up to 12 or more lines of hydrophones spaced 5 to 10 meters apart and between 3 and 25 meters below the water surface. The array can be upwards of 12,000 meters long and 1,200 meters wide.
Many prominent South African marine scientists have called on the government to halt the survey due to concerns about harmful impacts on South Africa’s marine ecosystems and coastal communities.
Two urgent applications were brought challenging the seismic surveys on behalf of interested and affected parties including local associations, environmental justice organisations and residents of the Wild Coast region.
Note that the Centre for Environmental Rights does not represent any of the parties in these matters.
Urgent interdict application brought by Border Deep Sea Angling Association, Kei Mouth Ski Boat Club, Natural Justice and GreenPeace Environmental Organisation in the High Court of South Africa (Eastern Cape Division, Grahamstown) and represented by Cullinan & Associates Inc and Ricky Stone:
Letters:
Pleadings:
Confirmatory Affidavits:
Heads of Argument
Judgment
Urgent interdict application brought by Sustaining the Wild Coast NPC, Mashona Dlamini, Dwesa-Cwebe Communal Property Association and four Others in the High Court of South Africa (Eastern Cape Division, Grahamstown) represented by the Legal Resources Centre and Richard Spoor Inc.
Pleadings:
Sending you lovely greetings from the land of mountain
Gorillas and the Pearl of Africa. Following our interaction last week, I come
here again with some facts about mountain Gorillas, which I have learnt throughout.
Truly I first encountered them, when I was 5 years old,
since then my experience and love for them has been interesting
. Gorillas are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous
great apes that inhabit the tropical forests of central Sub-Saharan Africa. The
Gorilla genus is divided into two species the eastern gorillas and the western
gorillas, and either four or five subspecies. They are the largest remaining
primates (Apes) on earth.
As our main focus is on Mountain gorillas, mountain gorillas
only live in the dense vegetation of Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
National Park and along the dormant volcanic Virunga Mountain range that
stretches across Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park, Uganda's Mgahinga Gorilla
National Park, and Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Amongst
the questions was, what’s
threatening the live of a gorilla and will they be extinct?
One of the main reason’s gorillas are going extinct is
habitat loss, forests where gorillas have lived for many years are being
destroyed for agricultural use, commercial logging and many other activities,
this leaves gorillas in hard conditions as they can hardly live elsewhere
except in their Natural habitats
One
other burning and lovely question was, how strong are mountain Gorillas?
Now, I want to make one thing clear. No one really knows how
strong a gorilla is. They haven’t competed in strong man (ape) competitions.
And no one has fought a gorilla against a buffalo, hippo or even a bear
(thankfully). This post is a combination of facts and conjecture.
Another
interesting question was, do gorillas talk?
Just like in humans, gorilla communication can occur through
a variety of methods body postures, facial expressions, vocalizations. Mountain
Gorillas use a variety of behaviors and vocalizations to communicate dominance
Another
one was, what do
Gorillas eat?
Mountain Gorillas stick to a mainly vegetarian diet, feeding
on stems, bamboo shoots and fruits. Western lowland gorillas, however, also
have an appetite for termites and ants, and break open termite nests to eat the
larvae.
And the
main deal of this article was, where do mountain gorillas sleep?
Mountain Gorillas build nests in which to sleep, both on the
ground and in trees, made of leaves and branches. Counting abandoned nests is
an effective way for scientists to estimate population size. As you will see
the photos bellow.
And of
course, like many conservationists. Another question was who scares the gentle
giants?
mountain gorillas like other primates and humans are scared
of water and some insects like caterpillars and reptiles like Chameleon.
Gorillas like other apes including humans find it hard to swim naturally which
prompts them to desist from expanse water masses (big water bodies) like Lakes
and Rivers. And part from humans,
gorillas don't really have enemies. The only predator to prey on gorillas is
the leopard. Walter Baumgärtel found the remains of several gorillas after they
had been killed by leopards in the Virunga Volcanoes.
Amongst
other questions was, how can one help to save these gentle Giants?
One of the most effective ways to help mountain gorillas
survive, is to donate money to organizations working on the ground to conserve
the species. Numerous organizations including Over and Above Bwindi (OAB) under
Interior safaris East Africa have
spent decades finding effective methods for protecting mountain gorillas, and
most rely on grants and donations to fund our work through these activities, you
would have surely saved a gorilla.
Trekking or tracking the gorillas.
Creating awareness.
Avoid trekking gorillas when you're ill.
Making direct Donations.
Support the local communities.
Follow rules and regulations.
Engage in other activities.
Wildlife crime encompasses a range of illegal activities that threaten the survival of animal and plant species worldwide. At its core, it includes poaching, the illegal hunting or capturing of wildlife, and the illicit trade of their products. This crime not only targets endangered species but also affects ecosystems and biodiversity as a whole. Understanding the definition and scope of wildlife crime is crucial for nature lovers and activists who seek to protect the delicate balance of our natural world. The severity of wildlife crime is underscored by its connection to organized crime syndicates, which operate across borders, making it a global concern that transcends local and national jurisdictions.
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Cami Ciotta
MojoStreaming
Creator of an upcoming TV Series on Wildlife Crime - If you would like to learn more contact Cami at producer@wildlifecrimeseries.com
