2020-w37 - 27 February 2020

Andrew Grant Whitfield to ask the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries

What was the total number of live (a) black rhino and (b) white rhino in the Republic on (i) 31 December 2015, (ii) 31 December 2016, (iii) 31 December 2017, (iv) 31 December 2018 and (v) 31 December 2019?37. THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES REPLIES:Rhino numbers are informed by a variety of sources. Specific complementary reports are the following:• Red List of Mammals of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland for both white and black rhino;

Reply from the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries on 27 Feb 2020


Rhino numbers are informed by a variety of sources. Specific complementary reports are the following:

• Red List of Mammals of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland for both white and black rhino;

• the Non Detriment findings for both white and black rhino;

• a report from the IUCN Species Survival Commission (IUCN SSC) African and Asian Rhino Specialist Groups; and

• TRAFFIC to ...

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2019-w1185 - 31 October 2019

Narend Singh to ask the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries

Whether she intends taking action to ensure that Africa's most iconic species, the African lion, is fully protected in the Republic; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what action will she take to (a) close legislative gaps in this regard and (b) enforce the relevant laws?

Reply from the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries on 31 Oct 2019

Globally, African lion is listed as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. However, the wild lion population in South Africa is not under threat of extinction, as recent quantitative data found the population to be increasing stably. According to the Red List of Mammals of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland (2016) which was a regional ...

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2019-w1069 - 25 October 2019

Shaun Nigel August to ask the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries

(1) Whether, in view of the fact that the former Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries was unable to resolve the matter of the long-term fishing rights in the abalone commercial sector since 2016, her department has made any progress with regard to the Fishing Rights Allocation Process (FRAP 2020); if not, by what date does she expect the (a) FRAP 2020 to be completed and (b) abalone fishing allocations to be finalised In order for harvesting to commence; if so, (2) has the abalone fishing sector been included In the FRAP 2020; If not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply from the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries on 25 Oct 2019

(1)(a) On 04 September 2019, Cabinet endorsed the recommendation to extend the timeframes for dealing with the fishing rights in 12 commercial fishing secto11 which ~ due to expire on 31 December 2020. The FRAP process will therefore be extended until 31 December 2021.

During this time, the Department will conduct Socio-Economic Impact Analysis studies on the General Policy on the Allocation of Commercial ...

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2019-w1163 - 25 October 2019

Alexandra Lilian Amelia Abrahams to ask the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries

Whether her department incurred anyrelated to the (a) inauguration of the President of the Republic, Mr M C Ramaphosa, held in Pretoria on 25 May 2019 and (b) State of the Nation Address held in Cape Town on 20 June 2010; if so, in each case, (i) what coats were incurred and (ii) for what reason?

Reply from the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries on 25 Oct 2019

Answer to (a); (b)

The Department did not Incur any costs related to the (a) inauguration of the President of the Republic, Mr M C Ramaphosa and (b) State of the Nation Address held in Cape Town on 20 June 2010;

(b){i) No costs incurred;

(ii) Not applicable as no costs were incurred.

 

Regards

MS B D CREECY, MP

MINISTEROF ENVIRONMENT, FORESTRY ...

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2019-w480 - 05 September 2019

Hannah Shameema Winkler to ask the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries

(1) What is the square meterage and grade of office space for her department's Environment House in Pretoria; (2) What (a) number of office spaces does her department have in the Republic, (b) is the square meterage and grade in each case and (c) amount is paid for office rental in each case?

Reply from the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries on 5 Sep 2019

1) 27 422 m2 and SAPOA Grade A

(2) (a) The Department has 24 (twenty four) office spaces in the Republic.

Find here: (b) & (c). Table

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2019-w443 - 05 September 2019

Chantel King to ask the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries

(1) Which beaches lost their blue flag status in (a) 2016, (b) 2017 and (c) 2018; And (2) whether any measures are in place to restore the blue flag status of the specified beaches; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply from the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries on 5 Sep 2019

(1) The following beaches lost their Blue Flag status:
(a) 2016: Struisbaai Beach (Agulhas Municipality).

(b) 2017: Gouritsmond Beach (Hessequa Municipality); Santos Beach (Mossel Bay Municipality); Wilderness Beach (Garden Route District Municipality); Kleinemonde Beach (Ndlambe Municipality).
(c) 2018: No Blue Flag beaches lost their status in 2018.

(2) (a) 2016: Struisbaai Beach - The municipality opted not to apply in 2016 in order to ...

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2019-w410 - 12 August 2019

Hannah Shameema Winkler to ask the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries

(1) (a) What number of (i) lions are currently kept in predator-breeding farms across the Republic and (ii) farms or facilities across the Republic are involved In the breeding of predators and (b) what systems are In place to audit the captive lion breeding Industry in each province; (2) what Is the reason that the specified Industry has been allowed to continue when it is commonly accepted that the Industry has no conservation value and Is detrimental to the Republic's conservation record (details furnished); and (3) why has her Department not adhered to the strong recommendations and resolutions put forward by the parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs in November 2018, which called for an end to the captive lion-breeding Industry in the Republic?

Reply from the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries on 12 Aug 2019

(1) (a) In terms of section 87A of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, 2004 (Act No. 10 of 2004) (NEMBA), the Members of the Executive Council (MECs) of the provinces who are responsible for the conservation of biodiversity are the issuing authorities for permits In respect of listed threatened or protected species, which, In this case, Includes the registration of captive lion breeding ...

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2019-w412 - 12 August 2019

James Robert Bourne Lorimer to ask the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries

(1) Whether she has found that long-line shark-fishers operated In marine reserves in the past five years without being stopped by her Department in collaboration with other relevant authorities; if not, how was this conclusion reached; if so, what (a) are the full relevant details and (b) steps does she intend to take in this regard; (2) what number of (a) white sharks, (b) smooth sharks and (c) any other threatened, endangered and/or protected shark species have been reported (i) caught and (ii) landed by the experimental long-line shark-fishing operators since 01 January 2016; (3) whether she has found any discrepancies in the reporting of the caught shark numbers; if so, what are the relevant details; and (4) what are the details of the future of the long-line shark-fishing Industry?

Reply from the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries on 12 Aug 2019

1. Yes.

(a) The Department Intercepted a vessel that was suspected of having illegally operated in the De Hoop Marine Protected Area. The skipper of the vessel was subsequenlty arrested and the catch was confiscated. A criminal case was subsequenlty opened In May 2019 at the Humewood Police Station, Port Elizabeth. The criminal case referred to above involved a vessel that was operating with ...

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2019-w312 - 05 August 2019

Hannah Shameema Winkler to ask the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries

Whether her department has set a deadline to remove the gear used for octopus fishing after imposing a temporary ban in False Bay; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) Whether all live fish and other animals caught in the gear will be released; (3) Whether her department has a map of where all the gear was placed in order to ensure that all traps are removed; if not, how will her department ensure that all the traps are removed in order to combat the illegal fishing of octopus in False Bay?

Reply from the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries on 5 Aug 2019

(1) The Permit Holders were instructed on 28 June 2019 to remove all octopus fishing gear with immediate effect. The process of removal of the entire octopus fishing gear in the False Bay area was completed on 11 July 2019.

(2) Permit Holders were allowed to retain all their catch.

(3) The Department has all the GPS coordinates where all the octopus gear was ...

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2019-w314 - 02 August 2019

Hannah Shameema Winkler to ask the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries

Whether she will consider introducing a ban, as she did in False Bay, on octopus fishing in Mossel Bay, in order to prevent any further deaths of whales; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details?

Reply from the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries on 2 Aug 2019

 

At this stage we are not considering a further ban. Our marine scientists are currently in discussion with licence holders on mitigation measures that can be introduced in all licensed areas. These options still require testing. If however entanglements are reported the situation will be re-evaluated. In line with the Permit conditions of Octopus Exploratory Fishing, if there are entanglements of cetaceans, operators ...

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