Budget Vote speech by Marthinus van Schalkwyk, Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, National Council of Provinces

Growing the environment and tourism sectors

Introduction

The temptation when broaching a subject like the environment is to make the mistake of thinking that our actions are insignificant and that our environment looks after itself. This is a short-sighted approach. It is convenient and it is comfortable, but it is wrong.

Today we celebrate World Environment Day, where we celebrate and raise awareness of our environment. The World Environment Day slogan for 2008 is Kick the Habit! Towards a Low Carbon Economy.

Climate change and a low carbon economy

Climate change and its impacts has become one of the biggest global challenges that we are facing. We understand that it would not be economically, environmentally or politically sustainable for South Africa to continue to grow without a carbon constraint.

Although South Africa has contributed, and continues to contribute, a relatively small amount to the global greenhouse gas emissions that are the cause of climate change, we are far from blameless. Emissions from our coal-based electricity production are substantial.

In my speech during the National Assembly Budget Vote two weeks ago, I announced the details of the Cabinet-mandated Long Term Mitigation Scenario (LTMS) study which will set the pathway for our long-term climate policy and will eventually inform a legislative, regulatory and fiscal package that will give effect to our policy at a mandatory level.

Cabinet has noted these findings and have mandated DEAT to bring implementation plans back to Cabinet during the 3rd quarter of 2008, as a first step towards fast tracking the process of translating our strategic options into policy directions.

Tourism growth - finalisation of Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) codes for sector

Chairperson, the department of Trade and Industry approved the gazetting of the tourism BEE Charter as a sector code, which will make the charter legally binding on all organs of state and those entities wanting to do business with organs of state. The charter will pave the way for BEE in the tourism industry. The date of gazetting will be announced in due course. The public will have 60 days to comment on it before the Charter is finally gazetted.

The code will clear the current uncertainty around BEE targets in tourism, paving the way for real, measurable transformation in the sector. The code follows a yearlong process of alignment between the Tourism BEE Charter and Government's Codes of Good Practice.

The fundamental difference between the sector code and Government's proposed minimum codes is that in the first five years of reporting more focus is placed on the human factor elements, like skills development, strategic representation, employment equity and enterprise development.

In recognising that the industry is people driven, it was critical to the industry to adopt this approach.

The gazetting will place the Tourism Empowerment Council of South Africa (TECSA) in a position to drive transformation in tourism from a solid foundation. We will now be able to send out clear messages about BEE in tourism, with specific targets for businesses of any size, timeframes as well as reporting mechanisms.

Growing our parks

Chair, turning to our magnificent parks, allow me to focus on some of our achievements over the past few years. We have committed significant financial resources towards the expansion of formal protected areas, bringing the number of national parks to 22, and the total formal conservation estate to 4 million hectares. Since 2004 we have declared four new Marine Protected Areas, thus increasing the total coastline under some form of protection to 20%.

Through environmental education programmes, SANParks continues to build environmentally responsible stewardship. During the past year alone, over 110 000 learners received Environmental Interpretation Education experiences at parks.

National moratorium on rhino horn

Chairperson, although we have tremendous successes in protecting and expanding our conservation areas, over the past two years there has been a dramatic increase in the illegal trade of rhino horn and in the hunting of white rhino. Both black and white rhino are listed as threatened or protected species and permits are required to perform a restricted activity. The black rhino is listed on Appendix I of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) and the white rhino on Appendix II. This means that the trade in rhino and its products is regulated internationally to ensure sustainable utilisation of the species. This indiscriminate illegal trade in rhino is directly linked to organised crime and the fact that approximately 27 white rhino were poached in the Kruger National Park during the last two years as well as a definite increase in incidents in other parts of the country. SANParks has therefore stepped up the protection of high value herbivores such as rhino, buffalo and elephant in our Parks.

During the course of investigating rhino horn deals, it has been established that prospective hunters applied for permits to hunt rhino in various provinces. Permits for these hunts were subsequently issued.

On closer investigation it was determined that some of these hunts never took place and the relevant authorities were never informed. This allowed the permit holder to legally export illegally obtained individual horn as hunting trophies. This occurred as a result of all rhino hunts not being supervised by the relevant permit issuing authorities. In some provinces, rhino are still on exemption permits, meaning that the landowner does not require an individual permit for the hunting of the rhino and therefore does not need to inform the provincial authority of such a hunt.

I would like to inform members of the NCOP that all environment MECs have approved the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism's proposal for a national moratorium on the trade in individual rhino horn to give provincial and SANParks enforcement officers a chance to ensure that approaches and protocols for dealing with the trade in rhino horn are consistent and comply with biodiversity conservation requirements. This will assist to curb the increase in the illegal trade in rhino horns and will hopefully discourage the poaching
of rhino in South Africa.

Chairperson, there can be no question that without enforcement of compliance, environmental legislation is worth no more than the paper on which it's written. In this regard our Deputy Minister will introduce the National Environmental Laws Amendment Bill in the NCOP in two weeks' time. This Bill proposes brief, yet critical amendments that will ensure more effective enforcement of national environmental legislation.

Growing our marine sector

We have approved the final policies for boat based whale watching (BBWW) and white shark cage diving (WSCD) which will be gazetted on the 13th of June 2008. The gazetting will also serve as a call for applications for the allocation of permits during 2008.

These are fast-growing industries that have the potential to generate considerable socio-economic benefits for coastal communities and operators, while providing educational benefits for the participants.

There are currently nine authorised BBWW operators and 12 authorised WSCD operators that are each restricted to operating one vessel. We intend to increase this in the new rights allocation process. Permits will be allocated from Port Nolloth to Sodwana Bay in the BBWW sector whilst the attraction of white sharks for the purposes of cage diving and surface viewing shall be limited to Seal and Dyer Island, Quoin Rock, Seal Island in Mossel Bay and Algoa Bay in the Port Elizabeth area.

The overall goal of these policies is to provide a proper regulatory framework, to grow these industries and to advance transformation and black economic empowerment.

Marine Aquaculture

Members are well aware that poaching and environmental changes have led to severe declines in the natural abalone populations. This has led to the closure of the wild abalone commercial fishery. We have identified that abalone ranching can play an important role in enhancing depleted abalone stocks. Furthermore, jobs could be created within the communities adjacent to areas identified to be suitable for ranching.

Over the past couple of years, abalone farming has developed rapidly and production levels are now in the order of about 1000 tons. With the increase in the availability of abalone spat, various ranching experiments have been initiated, mainly near Port Nolloth along the west coast, and on a smaller scale, at Cape Recife along the east coast.

These experiments have yielded very useful information to the extent that it will be possible to carry out ranching in some of the areas.

Areas for abalone ranching have been identified from Port Nolloth in the Northern Cape to Hamburg in the Eastern Cape. We have therefore developed guidelines on abalone ranching and stock enhancement. These guidelines will be gazetted for public comment on 13 June 2008.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Chairperson, I wish to thank all of our provincial colleagues for the work that has been done in every part of our country in both the environment and tourism sectors. To Rev. Moatshe and the other members of our Select Committee - you have the appreciation and support of our Department.

To our statutory bodies, our management team, the Department and our Deputy Minister, Rejoice Mabudafhasi - it remains an honour to work with such talented, dedicated and enthusiastic colleagues.

Ultimately what we debate today - the budget policy for Environmental Affairs and Tourism - could not be more fundamental to the dreams, aspirations and hopes of our people. A growing environment and tourism sector is, quite simply, the basic requirement for a growing South Africa.

I thank you.

Enquiries:
Mava Scott
Cell: 082 411 9821

Issued by: Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourims
5 June 2008