October 2012 MONTHLY REPORT Compliance Management During the month of October, Roland and Stefan checked 69 recreational fishing permits. Of the 69 permits checked, 6 anglers had no permits or they had expired. Some of these anglers were given a friendly warning while others were asked to pack up and leave. Penguin Release On 5th Carol Walton from SAPREC (Seabird and Penguin Rehabilitation Centre) organized with the rangers to meet on the Fransmanshoek Peninsula to release some penguins. The penguins had been collected over the past few months on the beaches of the Southern Cape coastline. Some of them had oil on them others had just been emaciated. It takes more than a ‘quick-fix’ to rehabilitate a penguin or any other Seabird for that matter. They take weeks and even months to recover enough to be released back into the wild. Penguins returning to the wild! Seabirds that are full of oil need to be cleaned, washed and fed until their natural oils cover their feathers again, making them waterproof. Once this has occurred and the birds are strong again, they can be released back into the ocean. The four penguins on this morning consisting of three adults and one sub-adult ran out of their boxes as soon as Stefan and Carol opened and tipped them over. The penguins looked around for a few moments, seemingly getting directions and then they ran towards the surf. As quite an east swell was breaking the penguins had to navigate a few large breakers before they found the relative calm waters of the bay. The group watched them for a while until they disappeared from view. The is often the most rewarding part of Carols job, as the main goal of rehabilitating any wild animal is to give it another chance in the wild. Angler Awareness Campaign Wayne Meyer, previous senior ranger at Fransmanshoek now working at the Goukamma Marine Protected Area (MPA) requested the Conservancy to assist with an awareness campaign directed at the various angling clubs within the Southern Cape. The main focus of the campaign, is to carry across the complicated scientific knowledge regarding our targeted fish species into understandable packages of information the normal fishermen can understand. Apart from simplifying the information, providing a mere bridge for the information to reach the fishermen is of vital importance today. A large body of scientific information, much of which the regulations regarding shore based fishing are based on, is locked up in scientific journals and not accessible to the public. Wayne organized access(with permission) to various Powerpoint presentations that have been created by top fishery scientists such as Paul Cowley and Colin Attwood to be used in the campaign. The idea is that a different theme is presented each quarter, but that the same theme is presented at the same time from Plettenberg Bay to Stilbaai. The Fransmanshoek Conservancy will be working with the Mossel Bay Rock and Surf Angling club as well as the Triton Angling club over the next year or two conducting a presentation with them every quarter. On 9th, Stefan and Marcel delivered the first Power Point Presentation to the Mossel Bay Rock and Surf Angling club. This quarters presentation had to do with Marine Protected Area’s in South Africa, highlighting their value. Triton had their turn on the 11th, with both presentations taking place at the clubs first meeting of the season. Both evenings were great successes, with both clubs welcoming the effort by the Conservancy to carry over the interesting knowledge. It also provided for a platform of discussion and questions which Marcel and Stefan answered. General Maintenance During the month of October the new road signage, rope railing and poles for a parking lot barrier arrived. All the materials are provided for by the Eden District Municipality. On the 12th Marcel and Stefan cleared the parking lot at the Geoff Cowley footpath where the extension to the current barrier was to be built. The extension to the barrier rounds the parking lot off nicely. On the 10th Marcel and Stefan replaced the rusted dilapidated road signage on the peninsula. While on the 22nd Stefan and Roland erected the rope railing from the Saal Parking lot down to Stilbaaitjie and put up the new and enlarged bathroom signs. In 2011, someone decided to break every lattice railing leading down to Stilbaaitjie. Luckily the upright planted poles were left in tact. After some debate, it was decided to use a rope for the railing The rangers want to thank Oom Riekie for the use of his drill and generator as well as Morton Hubbe from Eden District Municipality for sponsoring us the poles and rope. The new enlarged toilet sign at Fransmanshoek. The new rope railing leading down Stilbaaitjie. Coastal Bird Count The Fransmanshoek Conservancy attempts to stay up to date with the larger monitoring programs in the Western Cape and in South Africa. It was recently decided by Cape Nature to do away with the breeding success surveys of Oystercatchers over the summer, mainly due to the variation in quality of data coming in from different reserves and monitoring areas. It was therefore decided to change the program to a broader monitoring program of coastal birds. The methodology follows strongly the CWAC format of counting and recording the data. While still in the change over phase it was asked that the Conservancy conduct a trial run October. On the 23rd Stefan covered the Visbaai area, recording species from Fransmanshoek to Kanon. While on the 27th and 28th Roland covered Springerbaai to Fransmanshoek. The data is sent to Cape Nature to be stored with the greater body of data from the Western Cape and analyzed be their scientists at Jonkershoek. A White Breasted Cormorant Fire Protection Association We have some positive news to report regarding the Southern Cape FPA. After years of slowly getting off the ground, it seems as though things are starting to move quicker. Roland met with Charl Wade, manager of the SCFPA regarding the drive toward getting exemption of fire breaks for the greater area. The action plan was re- looked at and updated, while maps were looked at to decide which areas would be focused on to try and increase membership. The good news is the exemption approval process has been drastically shortened and refined. Once the application has been handed in, the Dept of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries comes to do an inspection and approval could follow in as quick as three weeks. Below is a map that has recently been drafted by Marcel, regarding the density of Rooikranz infestation within the Conservancy. The map will accompany the exemption application, together with the Alien Vegetation Management Plan and various other maps. These will strengthen the case for exemption approval. The new Rooikranz density map. Biodiversity Award During the month of September, Roland was notified by Vernon Gibbs-Hall (Eden) that he, on behalf of Fransmanshoek Conservancy, had been nominated for a Biodiversity Award. The award ceremony recognizes private conservation initiatives of outstanding performance within the field, and is driven by the Gouritz Cluster Biosphere Reserve and Cape Nature. Roland attended the ceremony on the 30th, and was fortunate enough to receive one of the 21 awards handed out. The evening was quite enjoyable with some performances from local schools, a local musician from Plettenberg Bay and a delicious dinner. The award is a great achievement for the Conservancy, and goes to show that the Conservancy is a good working example of a private conservation initiative that is contributed too by hundreds of property owners. The framed award Roland received. Garden Route Initiative On the 26th, Roland attended the Garden Route Initiative meeting in George. This quarters forum was done in quite a unique way. Instead of the organizers having three or four main speakers and presentations, the podium was given to the floor, allowing anyone who wanted to share a ten minute presentation. The idea was to allow a space for people to share what they were busy with, or what they felt a worthy cause within the current conservation scene. Roland decided to use the opportunity to convey to people how the Fransmanshoek Conservancy is able to do what they do. While there are a lot of conservancy’s out there, many are merely on paper or with one or two keen landowners trying to get things done. So, Roland thought that instead of reporting on the stuff they have been doing, he would take the Fransmanshoek Conservancy as a potential model for other conservancy’s to see how Fransmanshoek is run, financed, and manages to stay alive. The idea for the forum proved successful, with some very interesting projects, ideas and information coming out of the wood work. Amanzi Moya Approval On the 10th, The Dept of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning released the final authorization for Amanzi Moya. After an appeal from Vleesbaai Dienste last year and a long wait, final authorization has been granted to the developers. We can therefore expect to see somewhere in the region of 300 new homes going up in the next few years, on left hand side before the Vleesbaai entrance. STEFAN OOSTHUIZEN MARCEL VAN ZYL ROLAND SCHOLTZ FRANSMANSHOEK CONSERVANCY 082 084 2791 [email protected] .