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Knysna Estuary Management Plan Part I: Situation Assessment

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Knysna Estuary Management Plan Part I: Situation Assessment C.A.P.E. Estuaries Management Programme KNYSNA ESTUARY MANAGEMENT PLAN PART I: SITUATION ASSESSMENT Prepared for: Prepared by: Coastal & Environmental Services GRAHAMSTOWN EAST LONDON DURBAN 046 622 2364 043 742 3302 031 312 4800 P.O. Box 934 2 Marine Terrace, 9 Humped Road, Grahamstown, 6140 Hampton Court Durban, 4001 East London, 5201 South Africa www.cesnet.co.za December 2007 COPYRIGHT INFORMATION This document contains intellectual property and propriety information that is protected by copyright in favour of Coastal & Environmental Services and the specialist consultants. The document may therefore not be reproduced, used or distributed to any third party without the prior written consent of Coastal & Environmental Services. This document is prepared exclusively for submission to CapeNature, and is subject to all confidentiality, copyright and trade secrets, rules intellectual property law and practices of South Africa. Knysna EMP: Situation Assessment – December 2007 This report should be cited as follows: Coastal & Environmental Services, December 2007: Knysna Estuary Management Plan – Volume I: Situation Assessment, CES, Grahamstown. Coastal & Environmental Services i CAPE Estuaries Management Programme Knysna EMP: Situation Assessment – December 2007 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION....................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 General Introduction.......................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Terms of Reference........................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Project Team..................................................................................................................... 2 2 LEGAL REVIEW....................................................................................................................... 4 2.1 Legal Provisions Relevant to the Specific Estuary............................................................ 4 2.1.1 National Environmental Management Act (107 of 1998)........................................... 4 2.1.2 National Environmental Management: Integrated Coastal Management Bill (B40- 2007) 5 2.1.3 National Water Act (36 of 1998) ................................................................................ 6 2.1.4 Other relevant national legislation ........................................................................... 10 2.1.5 Municipal bylaws ..................................................................................................... 11 2.1.6 Conclusion............................................................................................................... 11 2.2 Requirements Stipulated Under Existing Institutional Management Strategies .............. 11 2.2.1 Western Cape Provincial Growth and Development Strategy - iKapa Elihlumayo, October 2006 .......................................................................................................................... 11 2.2.2 Knysna Integrated Development Plan 2007-2011................................................... 12 2.2.3 Knysna Municipality Spatial Development Framework: “A Path to a Sustainable Future”, April 2006 (Consultative Draft), June 2006 Amendments ......................................... 12 2.2.4 Plans, programmes and protocols required by the National Environmental Management: Integrated Coastal Management Bill ................................................................ 13 2.2.5 Water Services Development Plan.......................................................................... 14 2.2.6 National Water Resource Strategy, First Edition, 2004........................................... 14 2.2.7 Catchment Management Strategies........................................................................ 15 2.2.8 Internal Strategic Perspectives (ISP)....................................................................... 15 2.3 Institutional Structures Governing Estuarine Issues........................................................ 16 2.3.1 Institutions in terms of the National Environmental Management Act: Integrated Coastal Management Bill (B40-2007) ..................................................................................... 16 2.3.2 Local institutions and existing management plans .................................................. 16 3 BIO-PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION............................................................................................. 19 3.1 Introduction...................................................................................................................... 19 3.2 Hydrographical characteristics ........................................................................................ 19 3.3 Physico-chemical variables............................................................................................. 19 3.4 Sediments .......................................................................................................................19 3.5 Nutrient dynamics............................................................................................................ 20 3.6 Plankton .......................................................................................................................... 20 3.7 Intertidal wetlands ........................................................................................................... 21 3.8 Benthic macrofauna ........................................................................................................ 21 4 SOCIO-ECONOMIC DESCRIPTION ...................................................................................... 23 4.1 Description of the Socio-Economic Environment ............................................................ 23 4.1.1 Demographics ......................................................................................................... 23 4.2 Knysna Economy ............................................................................................................ 24 4.3 The Importance of the Knysna Estuary to Residents and Visitors .................................. 24 4.4 Value of Environmental Goods and Services.................................................................. 25 4.4.1 Tourism and recreational value ............................................................................... 25 4.4.2 Property value of the Knysna Estuary ..................................................................... 25 4.4.3 Visitor expenditure attributable to the estuary ......................................................... 25 4.4.4 Subsistence use value of the estuary...................................................................... 26 4.4.5 Commercial aquaculture in the estuary................................................................... 26 4.4.6 Indirect use value .................................................................................................... 26 4.4.7 Existence value ....................................................................................................... 26 4.5 The Relative Importance of the Knysna Estuary ............................................................. 27 5 EXPLOITATION OF LIVING RESOURCES........................................................................... 28 5.1 Ichthyofauna....................................................................................................................28 5.2 Living Resource Exploitation........................................................................................... 29 Coastal & Environmental Services ii CAPE Estuaries Management Programme Knysna EMP: Situation Assessment – December 2007 5.2.1 The Knysna seahorse ............................................................................................. 30 5.2.2 Description of the linefishery ................................................................................... 30 5.2.3 Description of the bait fishery .................................................................................. 32 5.2.4 Mud crab ................................................................................................................. 33 5.3 Enforcement Capacity..................................................................................................... 33 5.4 Existing and Proposed Restrictions................................................................................. 33 5.5 Illegal Activities................................................................................................................ 35 5.5.1 Linefishery ............................................................................................................... 35 5.5.2 Invertebrate fishery (includes bait and mud crab) ................................................... 35 5.6 1990 SANParks Master Plan........................................................................................... 35 5.6.1 Objective 1 .............................................................................................................. 35 5.6.2 Objective 2 .............................................................................................................. 35 5.6.3 Objective 3 .............................................................................................................. 36 5.7 Mariculture......................................................................................................................
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