Hessequa Municipality GREEN NEDITION

Issue 2: October 2020

Hessequa Municipality, Van den Berg Street, Riversdale, 6670

Tel: 028 713 8000 Email: [email protected]

Nurdles, Nurdles, Nurdles!

For the uninitiated, though, a brief explanation is called for: A nurdle is a tiny plastic bead, about 3mm in diameter. This is the form in which virgin plastic leaves chemical factories. They are packaged in 25kg bags and transported to other countries by the container load. There they go to plastic product factories, are melted down and injection moulded into the endless variety of plastic products and packaging without which modern humans simply wouldn’t be able to survive. The chemical composition of the nurdles being used will be specific to the type of plastic required (as indicated by the numbers in the recycling indicator triangle on most plastic products). A more recent spill led to nurdles being washed-up along the Hessequa coastline from to Witsand and various organisations as well as the local community intervened in order to clean-up some of the accessible beaches. In Witsand the Lower Breede River Conservancy Trust (LBRCT) stationed nurdle bins at three points, at which the community can deposit collected nurdles. These drop-off points includes Infanta Slipway, Anchorage Restaurant and the LBRCT office and from there the nurdles will be disposed of in the correct manner. The Working for the Coast participants are also hard at work trying to get the nurdles of the beaches. A clean-up took place on the 4th of November 2020 in Gouritsmond. The clean-up was arranged by the Disaster Management and participants from amongst others the Hessequa Municipality, Government, Incident Working Group Africa, CapeNature: Grootvadersbosch and Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (YCOP and EPWP: Working for the Coast, Working on Fire) and Southern Cape Fires took part in the clean-up. Spill Tech has been appointed to assist in the nurdle clean-up operations by P&I Associate (Pty) LTD and an investigation into the spill has been initiated by the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA). Spill Tech is also required to carry out inspections of nurdle sightings along the coast and store all collected nurdles until a waste management decision has been agreed upon by authorities and the party responsible for the spill. A reporting app has been developed for the reporting of nurdle sightings and the link is as follows: https://form.jotform.com/203102207622337

Werner Frehse Nature Reserve (WFNR)

The Werner Frehse Nature Reserve (WFNR) is located just outside of Riversdale next to the N2. Activities in the reserve include bird watching, photography, picnic, cycling, jogging and hiking. The WFNR is generally open for the public from 08:00 -18:00 and entry to the WFNR is by booking only. Bookings can be made at the Development Planning building at 24 Pres CR Swart Street in Riversdale and a key will be provided wich will provided access to the reserve. Some of the amenities on the reserve is ablution facilities constructed of rock and a firepit where you can braai. The ‘’Riversdale”-sign (made from stone and whitewashed) is situated in the WFNR as shown in the picture on the right. The Environmental Team did maintenance work throughout the month of September and October as can be seen below which included biomass management and extensive maintenance to the reserve fence. Riversdale sign in the WFNR

Photo: Biomass Management Photo: Fence maintenance Marine Month - October 2020

On the 20th of October 2020 a coastal clean-up took place in as part of Marine Month Celebrations. Thabiso Mokoena, from CapeNature, did the welcoming and Craig Viljoen from Incident Working Group Africa shared some information regarding the nurdles that washed up on the local beach. Mark Jantjies from Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries and Fiona Coetzee (Coordinator for WFTC (Hessequa)) did the acknowledgements. Promotional material was provided by the Western Cape Government and CapeNature, while CapeNature also provided refreshments to the participants. Garden Route Disaster Management and a small group of learners from Melkhoutfontein Primary also participated in the clean-up.

Estuary Control – Hessequa

It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt or someone gets stripped TARIFFS off their permit! So kindly adhere to relevant rules and regulations. Valid from: 01 July 2020 - 30 June 2021 GENERAL REGULATIONS (regardless of when permit is purchased)

• Only vessels displaying a valid permit sticker will be allowed to use this estuary. • Vessels - maximum length: 6m, maximum width: 2.6m. Yearly permits per boat

• All vessels must have the necessary safety equipment on board when VAT Included using the estuary. • Only one person per meter length of vessels allowed in vessel on the river 1 - 15 hp R199.00 unless otherwise specified on permit. • No vessel to be left unmanned at public facilities – e.g, at the jetty. 20 - 40 hp R303.00 • No jet ski’s are allowed on any estuary within the Hessequa municipal 45 - 90 hp R422.00 area. • No inflatable devices of any kind may be used to pull persons behind the 90 - 115 hp R609.00 vessel. • No wake in no-ski zone. >115 hp R756.00

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Daily permits per boat

What documentation is required when applying for a boating All engine sizes R140.00 permit? Yearly commercial tariffs

• Skippers License (for motor sizes larger than 15HP) 0 - 3 meter R380.00 • Buoyancy Certificate (for all motor sizes) • Certificate of Fitness (for motor sizes larger than 15HP) 3.1 - 5 meter R535.00

How can boating permits be obtained? 5.1 – 7 meter R1500

• During offices hours at the Stilbaai Municipal Office. >7 meter R4900.00 • During December holidays, permits are also available at the Slipway Office House Boat R4900.00 (Kiosk) in Stilbaai during weekends and public holidays.

On what estuaries can these boating permits be used?

• Goukou and Gouritz but not on the Breede River. Breede River has its own permits.

Where can fishing permits be obtained?

• At any South African Post Office.

Is skiing allowed? • Yes. Skiing is allowed in designated areas only. Environmental Calendar Is fishing allowed from the public municipal Jetty?

• No fishing is allowed from Jetty. • Fishing is only allowed 20m away from slipway. World Fisheries Day: • The Jetty is essentially for boaters (loading and offloading of 21 November 2020 passengers).