Operation Phakisa: Marine protection services and governance lab
The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Department of Environmental Affairs hereby invite you to join in a marine governance operation as part of Operation Phakisa on Thursday 7 April 2016 at the Port Elizabeth Harbour, Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape.
A decision was taken by the Cabinet during 2013 for the Government to develop an integrated approach to ocean governance. This approach would include management plans for the ocean environment. One of the objectives of this Lab has been that the poor South Africans should benefit from the riches of the sea.
Illegal, Unprotected and Unregulated Fishing Activities ( IUU )have a significant negative impact on Marine Resources, including infrastructure which results in substantial economic and employment losses.
These losses have a further negative impact on food security. The protection programmes that were in place before Government implemented Operation Phakisa within the Marine environment were overlapping and implemented by a number of Government Departments in an uncoordinated manner.
The Marine Protection Services initiative was then implemented to protect the Marine Resources by all Stakeholders in an integrated manner. The Department of Environment Affairs has been appointed as the leader of this initiative and Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries the Implementing Department.
Other Parties to this initiative are the South African Police Services, South African National Defence Force, the National Prosecution Authority. The Parties to this initiative have carried out various successful pilot projects along the SA coast line. During the current financial year, the pilot project will be transformed into a fully and permanently functional sea protection service.
Media is invited to join DAFF on board the Sarah Baartman vessel one of the Department’s Offshore Fisheries Protection Vessels. In addition to its fishery protection duties, the Sarah Baartman is also equipped to carry out oil pollution countermeasure work. The vessel is further equipped for Search and Rescue work, fire-fighting and limited towing duties.
The operation will involve going at sea and witness how inspections and compliance are effected.
Details of the event are as follows:
Date: Thursday, 7 April 2016
Time: 10h00
Venue: Manganese Quay, Port Elizabeth Harbour, PE, Eastern Cape.
Please bring your identity documents to allow you access onto the vessel.
RSVP:
Merle Van Diemel
Cell: 083 301 9400
Email: to MerleVD@daff.gov.za by Wednesday at 12h00.
Enquiries:
Palesa Mokomele
Director: Communication
Cell: 082 904 1908
Email: PalesaM@daff.gov.za
Zolile Nqayi
Director: Communication
Cell: 082 898 6483
Email: znqayi@environment.gov.za
