Capacity in government to manage inland waters from an ecological perspective
Dean Impson
Presentation to FEN, 2018
A recommended minimum capacity per provincial environmental agency
• Aquatic manager
• Aquatic scientist – limnological training, aquatic inverts, responsible for rivers
• Fish scientist – training in ichthyology
• Wetland scientist
• Two dedicated technicians to provide field support
• For coastal provinces – the above plus an estuarine scientist and estuarine technician
• i.e. 8 staff for coastal provinces and 6 staff for inland provinces
Current capacity of coastal provinces in environmental agency
W Cape
• Fish scientist (Impson) MSc
27 yrs
• River / Wetland scientist
(Gouws) MSc 12 yrs
• Aquatic technician (Jordaan)
PhD 10 yrs
• De Villiers (programme
manager estuarine) MSc 27
yrs
KZN
• Aquatic scientist (Kubheka) MSc 3 year
• Two estuarine scientists (Kyle &
Bachoo) PhD, MSc; 27, 12 yrs
• Estuarine and wetland technician
(Caroline Fox) >17 yrs
N Cape
• Aquatic scientist (Ramollo) MSc 10
yr
E Cape
No inland waters staff
Current capacity of inland provinces in environmental agency
Mpumalanga
• Aquatic scientist (Roux) PhD 22yr
• Wetland scientist (Marias) MTech 22y
• Aquatic scientist (Hoffman) MSc 27yr
• Aquatic scientist (Simelani) Btech 10yr
Free State
• Aquatic scientist (Barkhuizen) PhD >26y
• Wetland scientist (Collins) MSc >26 y
Gauteng
• Aquatic scientist ( Ashla Gohell) MSc 5
yrs
• Blesbokspruit Project manager and
River Health champion (Tebogo
Nkadimeng) BSc Hons 8 years
• Wetland Scientist MSc (Happy Khumalo)
9 years
• Blesbokspruit Administrator (Bismark
Mashau) 12 yrs
North- West
• Fish scientist (Nemutandani) MSc 3yr
• Vacant aquatic scientist post
Limpopo
• Aquatic scientist (Masindi) MSc
12 yr
• Aquatic technician (Rodgers)
Higher Diploma NC 20yr
Rivers with fish CBA’s per province
N Cape
Orange, Sak, Oorlogskloof
Free State
Orange, Riet, Vals, tribs of Wilge
around Harrismith
North West
Mooi, Tributaries of upper
Crocodile and Marico
Limpopo
Shingwedzi, Luvuvhu, Letaba, Mokolo,
Lephalala, Mogalakwena, Nwanedi
Gauteng
Magalies, Bloubankspruit
Mpumalanga
Tribs of Olifants, Sabie, upper Usuthu,
Crocodile, Komati, upper Vaal
E Cape, W Cape, KZN
Too many rivers in each to list
Why survey Fish CBA’s?
• Fish CBA’s are generally where threatened fish species are found
• They should be surveyed at least every 5 years, with fish CBA’s with endangered species surveyed every 1-2 years
• The survey should report on:
Presence of the threatened fish species, and associated native species
Status of the threatened fish species (common, uncommon, recruiting)
Threats to the native fish community – invasive fishes, invasive plants, over-abstraction, sedimentation, pollution, other impacts
Key riparian land-owners and contact details
This information then feeds into NBA, IUCN Red List, conservation planning (and revision of fish CBA’s), invasive species maps etc
Monitoring of fish CBA’s by provincial conservation agencies since the last NBA
W Cape
• Some fish CBA’s monitored, especially in Nature Reserves
• Data can confirm if threatened species still present, but not status
KZN• No monitoring of fish CBA’s done
by Ezemvelo• However the Aquatic Ecosystem
Research Programme of UKZN has monitored 12 fish CBA’s
N Cape
• 10 sites on Orange, but no fish monitoring since 2015 as equipment damaged
E Cape
• No monitoring of fish CBA’s done by provincial conservation agency
• Some fish CBA’s surveyed by SAIAB, but not for the purpose of monitoring of trends
Monitoring of fish CBA’s by provincial conservation agencies since the last NBA
Mpumalanga
• All fish CBA’s monitored, except upper Olifants and upper Vaal
• Data sufficient to report on trends
Free State
• No monitoring of fish CBA’s (they question data quality)
• Excellent monitoring of fish communities in dams (PhD done)
Gauteng
• Three large catchments done quarterly but not upper Crocodile where fish CBA’s areNorth- West
?????
Limpopo
• 42 of 79 fish CBA’s monitored• 216 sites on 8 perennial rivers
monitored every 3-4 yrs!!• Can report on trends
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