Programme Director,
Vice-Chancellor, Prof Derek Swartz,
Deputy Vice-Chancellors of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University,
Members of the media,
Honourable guests.
My heartfelt thanks to the very warm welcome to the city of Port Elizabeth, the Nelson Mandela Metropole and the province of the Eastern Cape. Professor Swartz we thank you for hosting us at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, an institution rich in history and one of the strategic partner institutions of the Department of Environmental Affairs.
Today and for the rest of the week we focus our attention on the importance our oceans and coasts play in our everyday lives. This year, we are celebrating National Marine Week with the theme “Better Understanding Of Your Oceans for the Protection of Life and Property” that can also go by the acronym “BUOY” BUOY-O speaks directly to the planned deployment of a data buoy system off Algoa bay.
The system will give a better understanding of the ocean environment, with an envisaged Early-Warning System, the products derived from the scientific data collection will inform all stakeholders and the public of the most recent ocean conditions and whether any ocean-based hazards are imminent, therefore linking science to direct benefits to society. As a consequence of better understanding and preparedness, life and property can be protected.
As we all know, South Africa is surrounded by three important oceans, the Southern, Indian and Atlantic Oceans; and together with our coastline of over 3 000km, provides us access to a vast and mainly unexploited Exclusive Economic Zone or EEZ.
The people on the coast have always had a direct relationship with the oceans. Traditionally, this relationship revolved around food from the sea. However, we now realise that our lives are intricately linked to oceans beyond fishing or shipping.
The opportunities provided by the ocean are wide and it is for this reason that the Department of Environmental Affairs embarked on a process of developing an Oceans Policy for the country. The Green Paper discussion document received extensive valuable comments and we are currently progressing well on the White Paper.
In deliberating on the Ocean Policy Cabinet further requested that this Ministry coordinate national discussions to produce detailed information on existing and potential future ocean economic opportunities. As the custodian of the ocean and coastal environment, we have to ensure that South Africa’s rich marine resources, both living and non-living, must be utilised optimally and sustainably in order to promote job creation and increase social benefits emanating from this.
South Africa is also awaiting the outcome of its Extended Continental Shelf Claim to be evaluated by the United Nations, and if successful, it will more than double the ocean space under South African jurisdiction and it will potentially be one of the world’s largest EEZs. This extension will bring future potential economic opportunities to South Africa in fields such as mineral and gas exploitation or the discovery of new and exciting chemicals that can be used in the making of a range of medicines.
South Africa’s draft Oceans Policy endorses four strategic imperatives namely:
- The building of an information base across all users of the ocean including basic information on natural processes and marine plants and animals;
- The use of this information to create knowledge that we can use to better manage the systems, including understanding how all this different users collectively impact the environment. Such a system of working with other sectors and departments will also allow government to identify what opportunities can be better used in the creation of jobs and income to the country;
- Once we have a shared knowledge platform we can then move towards integrated planning so that we together can discuss trade-offs and balances between the different sectors and their respective contribution to conservation and the development of the country; and
- Finally our broader objective with the integrated planning to progress towards maintaining the integrity and ability of the oceans and coasts to support our country and people in the many ways that we are used to from the fish and shipping it allows us to have to the rainfall our farmers depend on and climate that all those tourists to the beaches especially at this time of the year.
The first of these imperatives speaks directly to the theme of National Marine Week 2013, namely a Better Understanding of Your Oceans for the Protection of Life and Property.
Those of you who study the ocean, like many of you gathered here today, have convinced us that understanding the oceans is required to understand the planet. You correctly argue that since oceans make up 70% of the surface of our planet, it must have a substantial influence on the weather and climate. We therefore now appreciate that an understanding of oceans is necessary for short and long-term social and development planning for coastal and landlocked countries.
The oceans and coasts are interesting and attractive spaces to work in because, while there are potential environmental threats, there is also much opportunity. We must acknowledge that this ocean space is part of our sovereign jurisdiction and must accept our responsibility in understanding the social and development opportunities that the ocean presents. A serious barrier to us not recognising the ocean opportunities is that we do not know enough about our oceans and coasts.
For coastal countries these economic benefits are significant and complex. These benefits include shipping, port infrastructure, mining and tourism. These economic endeavours extend far beyond coastal states.
The world’s economy is still largely traded on shipping routes. However, in addition to these more traditional economic endeavours, technology advancement over the last decade, has unlocked several new areas including pharmaceutical applications, energy generation, and new mining resources and applications.
Climate change adds more complexity to our challenge of understanding the oceans and its role in how the planet works. We must know how the oceans are functioning and changing and how these changes impact on weather and climate. Moreover, we need to recognise the vulnerability of our people in the country and on the continent.
Your work can contribute to meaningfully lower the risk to environmental disasters. This is achieved by providing information and knowledge early enough so that it can be used in advance planning and forecasting. It will also direct the deployment of our limited resources in meeting climate change adaptation needs.
The deployment of a line of fixed observational instruments such as the ones planned for this area of our coast is the first of a number of such arrays around strategic points of our country. The scientific data and information will be used to better understand the functioning of the ocean space. This information is initially seen as basic as it is currently confined to sea-surface temperature, current speeds and wave heights.
However, as the system is expanded into other regions and into the Southern Oceans, the ultimate aim is to produce an early-warning system in conjunction with other role-players in South Africa.
Our exposed coastline, increased storm surges and rougher seas require us to be pro-active in order to better prepare our responses to severe ocean-based hazards coming from the Southern Oceans as well as the tropics.
We have seen the destructive forces of nature and how it impacted the lives of many living around the coast as well as the rich biodiversity and it is projected that these incidents will become more frequent in the future. We will actively seek local, regional and international partners to make this early warning initiative a reality as the safety of our people, infrastructure, property and economy is of paramount importance.
As South Africa and Africa in general, we have a huge responsibility to produce our knowledge own expertise, involving our people, especially our young people, to continue the fight for sustainable development and conservation of our oceans and coasts. Let us harness what we have and build upon current successes.
Thank you!
