‘The world’s greatest living explorer’, 68 year-old Sir Ranulph Fiennes has arrived safely back in Cape Town after a lengthy evacuation process from Antarctica. Fiennes, who is suffering from severe frostbite after attempting to adjust a ski binding without gloves on, is said to be ‘extremely disappointed’ at having to give up his quest to be the first to cross the world’s coldest continent in winter.

The Coldest Journey is, however, not over. The five remaining team members will continue with the expedition and hope to begin the crossing on March 21, led by Brian Newham.

One cannot help but think that perhaps the ‘world’s greatest living explorer’ should have known better that to remove his gloves while in the field.

Greta Apelgren-Narkedien is back in the news this week with the announcement that the fisheries department has committed to heeding the scientific advice presented this year for the the reduction of rock lobster quotas in the next financial year. She believes that this that revised quota will give the rock lobster population time to rebuild.

This same scientific advice regarding quotas was disregarded last year.

What is the point of employing, and presumably paying, scientist for their valuable input and then simply ignoring it? Surely this situation cannot be allowed to continue..