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THE Port of Ngqura has become an extraordinary magnet for marine life, and could point the way to an important new role for harbours, according to Bayworld marine biologist and shark specialist Dr Matt Dicken.
Among the rich con glomerations of fish that have been recorded there, sharks have been a stand-out feature, not least shivers of little-known gully sharks in the shallows right inside the port, hundreds-strong.
Previous studies on Ngqura pinpointed the threat of oil spills, and the huge plume of sediment which hung in the water for months during construction, finally settling but possibly altering in the long term the composition of the seabed and the integrity of the Algoa Bay food chain.
They highlighted the threat of future oil spills, and the danger especially for the African penguin.
But Dicken said if the explosion in fish life could be capitalised on by monitoring and protecting it, this would be a good way of ensuring the general health of the surrounding bay and all its residents.
For a year, he and a team of specialist tag-and-release anglers targeted the waters of the harbour and recorded their catches. They were “blown away” by their findings.
“We caught more than 4 500 fish representing 47 different species from 5cm long Cape stumpnose and puffer fish to 2.5m raggedtooth sharks.
“In addition to relatively commonly encountered species like kob, elf and garrick, we also caught sub-tropical species of kingfish and queen mackerel rarely recorded in the Eastern Cape.
“Although not caught, great whites and whale sharks and even manta rays were regularly observed in the port.
“To put this into perspective, the abundance of fish recorded was more than 10 times greater than any other estuary or shore location in South Africa.
“The port is one if not the most productive fish environments in South Africa and is functioning as an important nursery area for many species of fish.”
One of the most surprising and exciting discoveries was the abundance and diversity of sharks from bronze whalers and hammerheads to cat sharks, raggedtooths and great whites, he said.
“Many of the shark species recorded are highly sensitive to over-exploitation and have been decimated in other parts of the world.”
One of the most commonly encountered sharks was the dusky. There are particular concerns about this species as it is not only heavily targeted by anglers, it also has very slow growth rate, is late to mature, produces just a small number of pups and has a long gestation, he said.
“Yet our finding was that there are over 500 duskies using the port as a nursery area and core activity zone. So this is very important in the management and conservation of this species in South Africa.”
Aerial photos showed Ngqura is also home to hundreds of gully sharks, he said.
“These sharks are endemic, they grow to about 1.8m long and they congregate in the shallows.... But apart from these facts and some data about their feeding and reproduction, there is little information available to guide management of the species.
“These congregations are infrequent and have only been observed before in Western Cape.”
Whether these sharks are breeding, pupping, feeding or aggregating in response to upwelling of cold water in the bay is unclear, he said.
“But whatever the reasons, it is evident Ngqura is functioning as a key habitat for this potentially vulnerable species.”
Dicken’s finding was that the attraction of Ngqura for the gullies and other shark species is not only the abundance and diversity of fish prey but also the relatively calm and sheltered environment created by the port.
“So, far from destroying valuable fish habitat, the Port of Ngqura has provided a novel habitat and conditions similar to those in estuaries, on an otherwise wave-battered sandy bottom coastline.”
With the excellent present biological status of the port established, any future construction should avoid critical biological activity like the congregating gully sharks, spawning fish and endangered species like whale sharks and dolphins, he said.
“Best practice construction methods should be employed to minimise impacts, including turbidity and movement of sediment on the seabed. Blasting during construction should be avoided if possible as this can cause fish kills.”
Air bubble “curtains” can be used to reduce sound wave energy `when blasting cannot be avoided, and screening systems can be used to prevent fish from moving to dangerous spots like power station turbine intakes, he said.
“Retention of the nursery function of the port for many juvenile fish and shark species is particularly important considering the continued degradation of estuaries, which are vital in the life histories of so many over-exploited linefish species.
“The diversity and abundance of fish recorded within Ngqura suggests the potential use of ports and other artificial structures for enhancing local fisheries in South Africa.”
AN online video hoax purporting to show Eastern Cape Premier Noxolo Kieviet in a drunken stupor at an East London sports club has been lambasted by the ANC as an elaborate smear campaign. The amateur video clip which appears to have been captured by a cellphone was first posted on Algoa FMs website on Thursday morning before making its way onto video-sharing website YouTube.
Rhinos take to the skies in massive covert operationTHREE black rhino were darted and airlifted out of the Eastern Cape bush yesterday (March 29 2012) at the start of the biggest sale ever of this critically endangered species. The animals were transported across the Eastern Cape veld, blindfolded and suspended by their feet at the end of a long chain beneath a Super-Huey helicopter, that contracts out at R20000 an hour, and which once flew very different missions in the Vietnam War.
Three more bodies foundANOTHER three bodies believed to be that of the missing rugby players who drowned at Bluewater Bay after being swept out to sea on Sunday have been found by rescue workers. Police spokesman Captain Andre Beetge said that all three bodies were found between St Croix Island and the Coega Harbour. "We are currently busy recovering the bodies and only once the family have identified them will we be able to release their names," he said. The search will continue for the remaining missing body. This comes after police recovery experts yesterday found the body of Anelisa Mbuzeli, 21, floating about 800m from the Port of Ngqura sea wall, near Jaheel Island, at 11.30am.
Taking the plunge for a rhinoSEVEN media personalities took the plunge yesterday (March 28 2012) in honour of Themba the Kariega rhino who died at the weekend, after a vicious poacher assault a month ago. Aided by Skydive PE, they screwed up their courage and jumped out of an aeroplane 3kms above Uitenhage Aerodrome.
Call for bay to be SA's first green cityNELSON Mandela Bay can become South Africa’s first “transition city”, leading from the front to create a brave new model built around low carbon emissions, local economic development and “sustainable livelihoods”. That’s the view of political and social development activist Dr Janet Cherry, who is a lecturer at NMMU and also a leading member of Transition Network PE, one of the organisations that attended the Cop17 climate change summit in Durban in December, and which participated in the Cop17 Feedback Session at city hall last week.
Themba's struggle for life recountedFOLLOWING the death of Themba, veterinarian Dr William Fowlds struggled to hold back tears yesterday as he told 150 schoolboys from Grahamstown's St Andrew's Preparatory how the severely mutilated rhino - “who fought so bravely” to survive - collapsed and drowned in a rock pool at Kariega Game Reserve.
Chinese pair held after mussel bustTWO Chinese nationals have been arrested and a huge haul of 4611 mussels have been seized in a joint bust by department of fisheries officials and the PE flying squad. The bust took place yesterday (March 26 2012) afternoon in the dolosse area opposite North End prison. Mussels are plentiful from east of the harbour all the way to the New Brighton pier.
BBC film on hitman, husbandTHE family of slain bride Anni Dewani is anxiously awaiting the screening of a documentary that is promising to reveal the dealings of her husband and a hired hitman days after her execution-style murder.
Empty promises plague Eastern CapeON the eve of Human Rights Day, Eastern Cape residents have little to celebrate as the province still lags far behind the rest of the country with regard to service delivery in four key areas: water, electricity, sanitation and waste removal. In a recently released study done in 2009 - the latest to date - the province scored well below the national average on these.
Ex-Bay boy Alexander rubs shoulders with starsHE might have been too chicken to actually greet Ryan Reynolds, but former Bay resident Alexander Hart says being part of a big-budget Hollywood film was not a bad way to make a buck.
Woman tells of caring for kidnapped baby's siblingsIN a twist in the case of Dianne Wabanie's abducted newborn baby from Dora Nginza last week, a Gelvandale woman has revealed that the mother had her other two children removed from her care on grounds of alleged neglect.
Abducted newborn found?HEALTH officials believe they have found the newborn baby boy who was stolen from Nelson Mandela Bay mother Dianne Wabanie as she recovered at Dora Nginza Hospital last week after giving birth.
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alcan [23 May 2011 18:08]
Re Ngqura!
Well thanks for letting the "cat out of the bag", all of humanity will now try to destroy the area, thats how it happens in Africa!
- Report Abuse
alcan [23 May 2011 18:04]
Well thanks for letting the "cat out of the bag", all of humanity will now try to destroy the area, thats how it happens in Africa!
- Report Abuse
ANOTHER knife attack has occurred at Arlington Waste Disposal Site. The attack, which took place on Saturday afternoon, comes amid calls by the DA for an investigation into the chaotic state of the site and questionable swopping of contractors.
Schoenies otter takes fishing lessonsIT’S one of the iconic wild animals of the metro’s open spaces, but it’s not often seen - certainly not clambering onto the rocks right under your feet. But that was the experience of fishing buddies Gavin Curtis and Stuart Duckenfield who were trying their luck with light tackle and pilchards at Schoenies yesterday (August 10 2011).
Cause and effect of climate change explainedSO HOW to communicate the complexity and magnitude of climate change to youngsters from a little school in Zwide? The kids, in grades six and seven at Mzimhlophe Primary School, were given the answer to this question during their visit to the SA Marine Rehabilitation and Education Centre (Samrec) yesterday (August 03 2011).
R1.5-million farming venture will fit Eastern Cape to a teaTHE Eastern Cape government has set aside R1.5-million to kick-start an expanded honeybush tea industry that could be ramped up to produce a turnover of R100-million a year and hundreds of new jobs. The good news follows on the results that have emerged from a study of the honeybush industry, commissioned by the Coega Development Corporation (CDC) on behalf of the provincial economic development and environmental affairs department.
Snowed-in guards airlifted to safetyNINETEEN stock-theft guards stationed on the top of the Drakensberg have been plucked to safety as heavy snow presses in on their lonely outposts. The guards are housed alone or in pairs in 10 shipping containers, at key points along the Lesotho border with the north-eastern Eastern Cape, in the Rhodes area.
Algoa Bay the best monitored in all of AfricaALGOA Bay is now “the best monitored bay in Africa” with millions of rands worth of equipment installed below the surface measuring a wide range of environmental conditions. That was the proud revelation yesterday (July 28 2011) from SA Environmental Observation Network (Saeon) co-ordinator Shaun Deyzel, who was speaking at a marine science symposium hosted by SA National Parks, at the Addo Elephant National Parks.
Mantis in new Nigeria dealPORT Elizabeth based tourism group Mantis Collection has announced a bold expansion into West Africa with a landmark, multi-million US dollar deal signed in PE yesterday (July 25 2011) to roll out a sumptuous suite of boutique hotels in Nigeria. Mantis founder Adrian Gardiner signed the deal at Shamwari Townhouse in Summerstrand with highly respected Nigerian businessman Nze Chidi Duru, who is the chairman of Abuja-based Grand Towers Plc. The Nigerian company has interests in the pension, banking, retail, communications, IT and hospitality sectors.
Surf event sets greening benchmarkBILLABONG Pro J-Bay is setting a benchmark for international surfing contests with a comprehensive programme to protect the local environment and combat global climate change.
Karoo farmers take their fracking probe to Jo'burg oil summitA SMALL Karoo farmers’ association is so concerned about fracking, and damning new evidence out of the US, it is funding the R10000 bill demanded for a four-day oil and gas conference in Johannesburg, to allow one of its members to attend.
Swell job for man with decades of experienceWITH the small waves prevailing yesterday (Sunday July 17 2011) for the Billabong Pro J-Bay, all surfing mojos are focused on the second week of the contest and the swell that, it is hoped, will still set things on fire. The man with un-paralleled expertise in this department is contest director Eric Stedman, 54, who has been scanning synoptic charts, fiddling with barometers and assessing wind direction since he was a grommit back in East London in the 1960s. It also helps that he began surfing Jeffreys Bay 43 years ago.
New official whale watching operator launch in the bayALGOA Bay’s first boat-based boat-based whale-watching operation in a decade has been officially launched - and already some exciting sightings are being reported. Lloyd Edwards of Raggy Charters, the company awarded the boat-based whale watching (BBWW) license for Algoa Bay, said yesterday (July 14 2011) he spotted the cow and calf pair of southern right whales off Algorax earlier this week.
Super surf contest starts at J-BayTHE latest edition of one of the great global surfing contests, built around an iconic right-hand point break, was launched in Jeffreys Bay last night (Wednesday July 14 2011).
Unique source of Bay waterHOW many cities in the world can say they get their water from a World Heritage Site? Very few, I bet. Yet, that’s the case with Port Elizabeth and the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality and in fact the Gamtoos River Valley vege farmers.
Bayworld raggies returned to the oceanTHE biggest baddest pair from Bayworld’s de-commissioned aquarium, two bulky raggedtooth sharks, were released yesterday (July 26 2011) back into the sea. It was a sad day for the oceanarium, where they have lived for nearly two decades, inspiring awe in hundreds of thousands of visitors - but it is good news for the species, as the pair are now part of a research project aimed at securing our waters as one of the few safe havens in the world for raggies.
Unique study of great whitesA UNIQUE study into the abundance, distribution and movement of great white sharks in Algoa Bay, sponsored by the metro, has been launched. There has never been a fatal shark attack in Algoa Bay, but the metro has committed the R800000 grant as a pro-active step, taken in line with their marketing of Port Elizabeth as “the watersports’ capital of Africa”, researcher Dr Matt Dicken explained yesterday (June 21 2011).
Dairy farm could close soonBUSHY Park Dairy Farm, a flagship “proudly Port Elizabeth” business and a much-loved feature of the metro for the past 20 years, is facing closure. The shock news was confirmed yesterday (June 21 2011) by managing trustee Puffer Hartzenberg, who was responding to unconfirmed reports about the matter.
Refurbished Skead book publishedA NEW book aimed at celebrating our natural heritage and guiding sound future conservation policy has been published in Port Elizabeth. Historical Incidence of the Larger Land Mammals in the Broader Western and Northern Cape (including the Eastern Cape as far east as Sundays River) is a complete re-furbishment - with summaries, maps, illustrations and two new chapters - of the original work of the same name by legendary naturalist Dr Jack Skead, who died in 2006.
Co-op sponsors two farmers on US missionTWO Karoo farmers have flown out of PE on a ground-breaking mission to the US, to get the low-down on fracking, in the country where it all began.
Link Refit to electric cars proposalIF WE CAN link Refit with electrical motorcars - then we could really be onto something. Speaking to The Herald yesterday (June 14 2011), department of environmental affairs deputy-director general for climate change, Peter Lukey, said the scheduled launch this month of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Feed-In Tariff (Refit), will likely lead to significant positive change.
Exciting reforestation project underway in TranskeiAN UNUSUAL re-forestation and carbon sequestration project is underway in the heart of the old Transkei, where savage erosion is a common feature. The R7600000 project is being run as a partnership between the Congress of Traditional Leaders’ of South Africa (Contralesa), the national department of environmental affairs and a Johannesburg-based company called Carbon Worx.
Branch recalls fascinating careerFOR world-renowned reptile and amphibian expert Dr Bill Branch, who retired this week from Bayworld after 32 years employment there - it all began in 1969, on the shores of a lake in East Africa.
Green electricity programme set to launch this monthGOVERNMENT will this month launch the long-awaited Refit programme that will make funding available to pay private energy entrepreneurs who will generate their own green electricity and sell it to the grid.
EC investment boost to counter climate changeEASTERN Cape economic environment MEC Mcebisi Jonas yesterday announced significant new green economy investment to boost green economy skills in the province.
EC leads climate change battleTHE Eastern Cape government has declared its intention to lead from the front in the war against climate change, with a landmark multi-benefit project agreement signed at the Eastern Cape Climate Change Conference in East London yesterday (June 08 2011).
Climate change conferenceEVERYONE change - a milestone Eastern Cape climate change conference, featuring senior political leaders and climate change experts, is set to start in East London today (Wednesday May 8). The Eastern Cape Climate Change Conference will focus on the strategy document that has been prepared by local role-players, and will look towards the UN’s Cop17 summit, the international climate change indaba in Durban in December
'Plenty of power for smelter,' says CDCBLACK-out fears notwithstanding, there is more than enough electricity for the megawatt-hungry Coega manganese smelter, according to the Coega Development Corporation (CDC). CDC communications’ chief Senzeni Ndebele was responding this week to concerns expressed about the power demands of the smelter and how this will affect Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality residents and existing businesses.
Motherwell eco-schools big recipientsTWO Motherwell “eco-schools” were the recipients this week of tens of thousands of rands worth of equipment and furniture to help them learn better. The 26 maths and reading software packages, 100 desks and 200 chairs were donated by ABB after the power and automation giant participated last year in a Wessa eco-schools’ workshop in PE.
Pollution plume off the beachfront raises concernsA STRANGE-looking plume of discoloured water has been appearing sporadically in the bay between Shark Rock Pier and Humewood Beach, resulting in a number of calls from concerned residents, Following an initial report on May 20 by Humewood resident Elize Pretorius, and then disappearing for several days, it reappeared again this week, prompting further calls.
Put the environment on agenda of new councils Concerns over Ngqura oil leak 'unfounded'CONCERNS have been raised that the oil and gas exploration rig in Port of Ngqura could be leaking oil into the bay. Both the Norwegian company that owns the ultra-deepwater drilling rig and the harbour authorities have rejected as unfounded the concerns raised by environmental group Ocean Messengers.
Ball of fire not the beginning of the end.Was it a bird? Was it a plane? Was it a comet hurtling to Earth in delayed fulfillment of Harold Campling’s doomsday prophesy? Well, no. In fact, it was the International Space Station (ISS) and space shuttle Endeavour, catching the last rays of the setting sun.
Stately emperor pays family a flying visitTHERE are moths and there are moths - and then there is the pine tree emperor, one of the giants of the insect world. Gorgeous yellow in colour and “easily the size of a man’s hand”, one of these moths swooped into a Seaview home the other night.
Endangered forest clearing probedA SWATHE of critically endangered forest and new generation legislation formulated to combat climate change are at the centre of a confrontation in Deer Park. The forestry department has slammed as “reckless and malicious” the clearing of the area, which is over 100m long by on average 4m wide.
Male in search of good life turns up at beachfrontHE WAS a prickly customer - but in the end he came quietly. It was Patrick Mange, the cleaner and gardener at beachfront flatblock Bandle, next to the Beach Hotel, who found him.
EC operators performs strongly at IndabaTHE Eastern Cape has fared well at the Indaba tourism conference and expo in Durban, taking gold in two different categories in the main Welcome awards and only just falling short in the Eteya emerging tourism operators’ awards. The Welcome Awards winners are both from PE and are both family-owned businesses: the Plantation, the wedding, functions’ and accommodation venue on the Sardinia Bay road, and Economic Cars and Bakkies, the 20-year-old Walmer-based car rental firm.
NMMU microscope a global break-throughNMMU has been catapulted into the forefront of nanoscience research with the arrival of a state-of-the-art custom-built microscope from Japan. The high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) is the first of its kind that has been sold commercially outside of Japan and the last of a suite of four electron microscopes, costing a total R90-million, that have arrived in the past week from Tokyo manufacturer JEOL and a second manufacturer in The Netherlands.
'Port guards like the Stasi'FOREIGN tourists yesterday compared guards at the Port Elizabeth Harbour to the dreaded Stazi security police of East Germany, following an incident in which their driver was manhandled, forcibly detained and then bundled off to Humewood Police Station. The incident happened yesterday morning as the tourists, a group of five Russians and a Belgian, were about to enter the harbour at its southern entrance, headed for a day diving excursion in Algoa Bay with local dive company Expert-Tours.
Dad's call following son's deathSIMON Swart started drugging in his early teens and he had been through 15 rehabilitation centres before he died, alone in his room in a backpacker lodge in Central, a fortnight ago. But there was much more to this young man.
How to rejuvenate Baakens River ValleyI WAS chatting to permaculture activist and leading member of Transition Network PE Naomi Suzane the other day, and she came with a great idea of how to secure, rejuvenate and celebrate the Baakens Valley. We kicked her idea around, and this is how it turned out.
Nuclear moratorium callTHE concern group challenging the Thyspunt nuclear reactor has called on government to place a moratorium on all nuclear development in South Africa until the full extent of the Fukushima disaster is known. The call by the Thyspunt Alliance - a broad coalition of residential, cultural, environmental, tourism, fisheries, business and surfing interests in the Oyster Bay, St Francis, Humansdorp and Jeffrey’s Bay area - co-incides with the 25th anniversary of Chernobyl, the historic nuclear melt-down in Ukraine.
Major show jumping event scheduled for PEPORT Elizabeth has been named as a host city for a world show-jumping championship qualifier event, sparking great excitement in the show-jumping fraternity, and the promise of an energising mid-Winter injection of tourist revenue. The event will be attracting the country’s top jumpers, so it is being celebrated in horsey circles - but it is much more than that, event co-ordinator Tanya Radke said yesterday.
Oceanarium seals readied for departureHOW do you transport eight seals to Pretoria? That’s the preoccupation right now of Bayworld’s oceanarium team, as the relocation of their animals moves ahead.
Chumming fines co-incide with issuing of whale permitNELSON Mandela Bay Municipality has issued four fines to marine tourism operator Lloyd Edwards related to the controversial chumming incident off Humewood Beach last month. The issuing of the fines at the Port Elizabeth beach office on Friday co-incides with the issuing this week of the long-awaited boat-based whale watching (BBWW) license for Algoa Bay - to Edwards.
Get out the Karoo, farmers tell ShellANGRY residents of the Middleburg area have called for Shell to “get out the Karoo” after the company failed to guarantee the security of their water if fracking goes ahead. Addressing Shell representatives at a hall in Middelburg’s Grootfontein Agricultural College in a hall packed with farmers in T-shirts saying “Don’t Frack with our Karoo,” members of the audience asked repeatedly if the multi-national could “guarantee no risk to our water”.
Nieu Bethesda farmers count flood costsIT COULD take some farmers in Nieu Bethesda a decade to get back to where they were before the flood that hit them Saturday. That’s the word from the mountainous catchment area north of Graaff-Reinet, where well over 100mm of rain fell in 24 hours, flooding the Gats River and all its tributaries, flattening stock fences, stripping roads to bedrock and bursting farm dams.
Are these Chinese nationals South African Citizens? If not how have they gained entry,if they are who is behind this! This trend is a smack in the face of"Homeland Security" meaning anyone can walk in...
dokhotelo 29 March 2012 5:31 pm........they could not find the Galaxy syrup in the whole SA..........
mcstrange 29 March 2012 5:34 amit is too late already. the methane is being released in vast quantities from the arctic as I write this, the final forcing leading to irreversible change. Let's enjoy PE while we can. ...
mcstrange 29 March 2012 5:31 amErm, excuse me but why exactly would a municipal employee need a Galaxy tablet??? That is a waste of my ratepayers money. I'd like one but don't need one. Frivolous expenditure. ...
dokhotelo 28 March 2012 9:37 pm......as for the remaining ANC voters who are not well connected in the largest organized crime syndicate in power , they are the real slaves of the ANC lies, deceit and obscene corruption, but choose...
dokhotelo 28 March 2012 9:27 pm....Agree!!....They are not "refugees".........They are "one-way foreign exchange students"..............
thirsty 27 March 2012 5:40 pmLawrence what is stupid, confusing and nauseating, if not just pathetic, is that the department of education in the Eastern Cape is under administration. Mrs Zille did not call all blacks living in th...
mastermindPE 27 March 2012 1:33 pmWhat a load of codswallop !!!!! The truth hurts amongst the eyes hey??? Your Black South Africans are flocking to the Western Cape in droves in search of a better life instead of voting the ANC=pf Thu...
royboy 22 March 2012 11:00 amIt is about time that the media started showing pics of these thugs to name and shame,then we can see what these hyenas look like so we can recognise them if they are released....
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