ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT FOR THE PROPOSED MARINE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CABLE SYSTEM (ACE CABLE SYSTEM) TO BE LANDED AT VAN RIEBEEKSTRAND, WEST COAST OF SOUTH AFRICA: FAUNA & FLORA SPECIALIST REPORT PRODUCED FOR ACER (Africa) Environmental Consultants ON BEHALF OF MTN (Pty) Ltd BY [email protected] [email protected] December 2016 CONTENTS 1.2 Executive Summary .............................................................................................................. 3 2 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 5 2.1 Scope of Study ........................................................................................................................ 5 2.2 Assessment Approach & Philosophy ............................................................................... 6 2.3 Relevant Aspects of the Development ........................................................................... 9 3 Methodology ................................................................................................................................... 11 3.1 Data Sourcing and Review ................................................................................................ 11 3.2 Site Visit ................................................................................................................................... 13 3.3 Sampling Limitations and Assumptions ....................................................................... 13 3.4 Sensitivity Mapping & Assessment ................................................................................ 13 4 Description of the Affected Environment ............................................................................ 14 4.1 Broad-Scale Vegetation Patterns ................................................................................... 14 4.2 Listed & Protected Plant Species .................................................................................... 16 4.3 Critical Biodiversity Areas & Broad-Scale Processes .............................................. 17 4.4 Context within City of Cape Town Spatial Development Framework ............... 18 4.5 Faunal Communities ............................................................................................................ 19 4.6 Site Descriptions and Route Alignment Sensitivity ................................................. 20 5 Identification & Nature of Impacts .......................................................................................... 3 5.1 Impact Risk Factors ............................................................................................................... 3 5.2 Construction Phase Impacts .............................................................................................. 3 5.3 Operational Phase Impacts ................................................................................................. 4 5.4 Decommissioning Phase Impacts ..................................................................................... 4 5.5 Cumulative impacts ............................................................................................................... 4 6 Impact Assessment ....................................................................................................................... 5 6.1 Assessment methodology ................................................................................................... 5 6.2 Construction phase impacts ............................................................................................... 7 6.3 Decommissioning phase impacts ..................................................................................... 9 7 Conclusions & Recommendations .......................................................................................... 11 8 Literature Cited ............................................................................................................................. 12 9 Annex 1. List of Mammals......................................................................................................... 13 Fauna & Flora Specialist Ecological Assessment 10 Annex 2. List of Reptiles ........................................................................................................ 16 11 Annex 3. List of Amphibians ................................................................................................ 18 2 PROPOSED MARINE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CABLE SYSTEM (ACE CABLE SYSTEM), VAN RIEBEEKSTRAND Fauna & Flora Specialist Ecological Assessment 1.2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY On behalf of the proponent, MTN (Pty) Ltd, ACER (Africa) Environmental Consultants commissioned a Vegetation and Ecological Assessment along the proposed route alignments for the ACE Cable System to be landed at Van Riebeekstrand and terminating at the MTN Cable Landing Station in Duynefontein on the West Coast of South Africa. An EIA process is required for the development and ACER Consultants has appointed Simon Todd Consulting to contribute the terrestrial biodiversity component of the EIA. As part of the EIA process, this ecological specialist study details the ecological characteristics of the site and provides an assessment of the ecological impacts likely to be associated with the development of the proposed marine cable development. Impacts are assessed for the preconstruction, construction, operation, and decommissioning phases of the development. A variety of avoidance and mitigation measures associated with each identified impact are recommended to reduce the likely impact of the development A desktop study of the available ecological information and a field assessment were conducted to identify and characterize the ecological features of the site and identify potential sensitivities. Most of the sites assessed in the EIA phase are, however, within transformed areas and although two Endangered vegetation types occur in the area, neither will be negatively impacted by the cable development, provided mitigation measures are put in place. Impacts on fauna are unlikely given the extensive transformation of most habitats within the urban setting within which the development is proposed. The CoCT’s EMF for the district does not exclude cable development within the urban development zone, wherein the majority of the cable route lies but does highlight the sensitivity of the coastal area zone wherein a portion of the route lies (although the fine-scale mapping of this particular coastal zone do not classify it as highly sensitive or no-go to development). In terms of the identification of the preferred alternative, Alternative A is not considered the preferred option from a purely botanical perspective, given the proximity of the cable route to a City of Cape Town (CoCT) BIONET Critical Biodiversity Area (CBA) considered of Core, Irreplaceable status, and given that the route traverses a small dune with intact natural vegetation within (or in very close proximity to) this CBA. The dune should be considered a no-go area. Furthermore, the Route A alternative passes close to Protected milkwood trees (Sideroxylon inerme), which, although planted, impacts on these trees would not be ideal. However, if the proposed mitigation measures listed in Table 2 could be undertaken, including avoiding the dunes and the Milkwoods, then the cable route alternatives’ sensitivity is on a par, and Route B might even be the less preferred option from a ‘cultural’ perspective, given the fact it would require more digging in residents’ landscaped verges and planted trees on the verges (Table 3 and 4). The coastal dunes at the landing onshore of the cable are considered highly sensitive but the cable can be laid down in between the dunes (on the path) or if this is not feasible, the 3 PROPOSED MARINE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CABLE SYSTEM (ACE CABLE SYSTEM), VAN RIEBEEKSTRAND Fauna & Flora Specialist Ecological Assessment dunes should be re-instated and re-vegetated with Tetragonia decumbens and Arctotheca populifolia, in which case this impact can be considered of low sensitivity. The overriding consideration is obviously the assessment in terms of ecological impacts, however. Without the mitigation or possible alignment changes for Route A, then the impacts are lower along Route B. With the application of the suggested mitigation measures, the impacts associated with the development would be low and of a local nature only. Since the development footprint is located within transformed habitat, it does not contribute significantly to cumulative impacts on fauna and flora. 4 PROPOSED MARINE TELECOMMUNICATIONS CABLE SYSTEM (ACE CABLE SYSTEM), VAN RIEBEEKSTRAND Fauna & Flora Specialist Ecological Assessment 2 INTRODUCTION ACER (Africa) Environmental Consultants have commissioned this Vegetation and Ecological Assessment on behalf of MTN (Pty) Ltd, who would like to develop a proposed ACE Cable System to be landed at Van Riebeekstrand and terminating at the MTN Cable Landing Station in Duynefontein on the West Coast of South Africa. An EIA process is required for the development and ACER Consultants has appointed Simon Todd Consulting to contribute the terrestrial biodiversity component of the EIA. The proposed development involves the landing of a submarine cable at Van Riebeekstrand Beach and then the laying of the cable from the beach to the Beach Man Hole (BMH) which will be located on the edge of the residential suburb of Van Riebeekstrand (Figure 1). From the