Dear Editor
The Democratic Alliance (DA) celebrates the progressive approach that Minister Dr. Dion George has taken to the marine environment. Minister George this week signed the High Seas Treaty on behalf of South Africa at the UN Oceans Conference in Nice, France.
The Treaty, formally titled the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), champions the protection and management of biodiversity on the High Seas beyond any country’s borders.
This area incorporates over two-thirds of the world’s oceans and is woefully protected against overexploitation and unsustainable activities, resulting in negative consequences for marine biodiversity and climate change.
This Treaty will introduce global rules for biodiversity conservation, management of impacts, and fair access to marine resources especially for developing countries. The Agreement is aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals of which the DA is a strong proponent, particularly in this case Goal 14: Life Under Water.
The High Seas Treaty has now been signed by over 130 countries and will come into force once 60 of these have ratified the Agreement, with 49 member states having done so to date. We hope that Cabinet approval will be forthcoming and thereafter await the parliamentary processes for ratification in South Africa.
This latest development is in line with the proactive approach Minister George has taken to protect biodiversity, livelihoods, and food security in the ocean space.
The Minister recently concluded a consultative tour of South Africa’s fishing harbours with plans underway to revitalize coastal economies and reconnect fishing communities with the sea. Most recently, the Minister ordered the removal of wrecks from Hout Bay Harbour which obstruct traffic and symbolize the neglect that has taken place under previous administrations. The Minister has also empowered the small-scale sector through the granting of several appeals, thereby increasing the fishing rights available to coastal communities.
Minister George has also been proactive in dealing with the major threats to the critically endangered African Penguin, resource competition with fisheries and bunkering, giving imperilled marine biodiversity added protections.
He has also championed marine research through South Africa’s premier research vessel, the SA Agulhas II, contributing to global advances in environmental and climate change science. Youth, women, and others have also benefitted from work opportunities under the DFFE’s Working for Fisheries Program.
The DA stands in support of Minister George as he drives improvements in global and local environmental governance, scientific advancement, natural resource management, sustainable financing, and marine conservation.
Regards
Andrew de Blocq MP
DA Spokesperson on Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment