Error processing SSI file
Error processing SSI file

Mission Logs Complete management plan Visit St Lucia Getting to work More reserve travel Traveling to Krantz Kloof Reserve Arriving in South Africa Background South Africa delegation home page

The Delegation Arrives in South Africa By Elizabeth Moore The delegation arrives in South Africa and meets with the Umgababa Subsistence Fishing Committee. April 15—Our first day we were greeted warmly by our hosts at KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife in the provincial office in Durban. The morning was composed of presentations that covered our hosts’ agency, an overview of marine protected areas (MPAs) in South Africa, and an introduction to the Aliwal Shoal. In the evening, a welcome reception was held at the headquarters of the Oceanographic Research Institute in Seaworld Durban, attended by Narend Singh, Minister of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs for the Province of KwaZulu-Natal. April 16—Our second day in South Africa dawned rainy and foggy—just the day to visit Umkomaas, Zulu for “place of the whales”and the gateway to Aliwal Shoals for divers. The morning was spent with the Umgababa Subsistence Fishing Committee in the coastal community of Mnini. The Committee represents an organized group of local fishers whose activities under Apartheid were illegal. Now, these and other communities’ shore and estuarine fishing activities are considered legal subsistence. The changing political and social climate in South Africa raises new challenges to building trust between managers and the users. The afternoon was spent meeting with the Aliwal Shoal Forum, which is composed of other users and interest groups. These individuals developed the Forum in response to escalating user conflicts. Until recent years Aliwal Shoal and the gateway communities did not attract as many tourists. Now dive operators estimate 44,000 dives occur per year out of Umkomaas. In addition to divers, there are also spear fishing, research and conservation interests represented on the Forum. The second day in South Africa dawned rainy and foggy. The issues discussed throughout the day mirrored those experienced in the National Marine Sanctuary Program (NMSP): conflict between users, depleted marine resources, and the importance of community participation and education. The day concluded with a visit to the Umkomaas beach where dive trips are launched. South Africa is a county of remarkable contrasts and great potential. It puts me in mind of America in many ways: wealthy in natural resources, comprised of many races and faiths, learning how to be secure in our diversity and unity. What an amazing country and what an amazing experience awaits us! Extras: Zulu words we have learned so far: sanibona: hello yebo: response to hello ngicela: please ngiyabonga: thank you sanikahle: good-bye Aliwal Shoal, South Africa.

Revised September 12, 2023 by Sanctuaries Web Group Many links leave the National Marine Sanctuary Web Site - please view our Link Disclaimer for more information National Ocean Service | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | U.S. Department of Commerce | NOAA Library | Privacy Policy Contact Us | http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/includes/sancfoot.html