Author Archives: Natalie Janse

Weekly Press Review – 6 September 2013

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The inquiry into the sinking of the Kiani Satu is now fully underway. According to press reports, the inquiry will focus on the circumstances surrounding the grounding of the cargo vessel off Buffels Bay near Knysna. The vessel, carrying 330 tons of fuel oil and 15,000 tons of rice, apparently suffered engine failure. All cargo was lost during the sinking.

Both the owners and insurers of the vessel have approached the Western Cape High Court to make the crew, as well as all relevant documents available for evidence purposes.

In other news “shark season” is about to start along our coastline and the city council is already starting to warn the public to be aware of the increased shark activity when visiting the ocean.

Gregg Oelofse, head of environmental policy and strategy in the council was quoted saying: “The sharks leave Seal Island and move close inshore. This pattern happens every year at the end of August and beginning of September. We’re not trying to scare people, just to remind them of the seasonal patterns …. in shark behaviour.”

So, beach lovers, have fun, but be sensible and responsible. Remember, you are the visitors to the shark domain, not the other way around.

Weekly Press Review – 30 August 2013

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The MV Smart is still in the press this week as efforts to transfer oil from the bulk carrier, which ran aground off Richard’s Bay, are underway. According to the Department of Environmental Affairs: “At the moment, no oil spill from the vessel has been reported. As part of a contingency plan, containment booms have been deployed around the vessel to protect the coastline against any possible pollution during the salvage operations.”

Let us hope that the salvage operation runs smoothly with no damage to the marine environment.

The Kiani Satu also remains in the news this week with the owners going to court to try to establish what caused it to run aground and ultimately sink off Knysna. An official inquiry is set to begin next week.

“Shark warrior” Lesley Rochat made headlines this week as she is set to complete a shark free-dive with Capetonian and one of South Africa’s top surfers, Frank Solomon, in Durban next week. Rochat is an award winning film maker and conservationist and free-dives with sharks in an attempt to change public perception of these creatures as dangerous predators.

Rochat is a woman on a mission. It is nice to see a positive female role model really getting out there and making a difference in the ongoing conservation battle.

Now – who wants to go stage a sit in with the perlemoen and rock lobsters in an effort to protect them?

Weekly Press Review – 23 August 2013

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It has been a rough week on the maritime front as the press has covered the sinking of the Kiani Satu and the breaking up of the MV Smart in much detail.

After many, many man hours and much individual and agency co-operation, the Kiani Satu was refloated only to ultimately sink after being pulled out to sea by the Smit Amandla.

Fortunately it would seem that pollution was kept to a minimum as most of the oil that surfaced after the sinking was carried away from the coast.

Credit must be given to the 350 individuals from 20 different agencies who worked extremely hard under difficult circumstances to try to save the stricken vessel.

The coal ship MV Smart which ran aground off Richard’s Bay and then broke in two is still a concern on the pollution front; and scientists are currently evaluating the situation.

Also mentioned in the press this week is the rush of teams of scientists and geologists to survey the ocean floor off South Africa’s coast in an attempt to gather information regarding the possibilities for oil and gas exploration.

Some 20 companies are involved in the exploration, including some of the major players, such as: Shell, Anadarko, ExxonMobil and Total.

Let us hope that this exploration and what is to follow is done in a responsible manner and that South Africa gets to to be part of the process as well as the rewards.

Weekly Press Review – 16 August 2013

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The Fisheries Department is back in the hot seat this week (again) with officials again being criticised for still not getting the country’s research and patrol vessels back in the water.

Acting Fisheries Department deputy director-general, Desmond Stevens had the rather unenviable task of updating parliament on the status of the vessels and assured those present that both the Ruth First and Victoria Mxenge were ready for action and merely waiting seaworthy certificates from the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) and that the Lilian Ngoyi would be ready to sail by the end of September. Various MPs stated that they would be waiting on the dock at Simon’s Town to board the vessel on the promised date.

Let us hope that the Fisheries Department can deliver this time. It would seem that the pressure is finally on.

The stranded Kiani Satu has remained in the press all week as all attempts to refloat the vessel, still stranded off the coast of Buffels Bay, have thus far failed. According to Captain Nigel Campbell, responsible for overseeing the salvage operation for SAMSA, it is the strong swell due to harsh weather conditions that is hampering the refloating process.

Obviously the oil that is still leaking from the damaged vessel remains a cause for concern and Parliament’s portfolio committee has called for harsher penalties to be imposed on those responsible for the pollution of local waters in an attempt to protect fish and marine life resources.

This is something that could really go a long way towards protecting our coastline. Let us hope that the powers that be are able to come up with a plan that can be implemented fairly and quickly.

There was also some maritime drama off the coast of Robben Island this week, as the crew of the fishing trawler Claremont, had to be rescued after the vessel crashed into the rocks along the island’s coastline.

The rescue operation was carried out over four hours by the NSRI and all 12 crew members were safely brought back to shore. Another successful NSRI operation.

It seems that the salvage season has started in Cape Town.

Weekly Press Review – 8 August 2013

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The major news within the maritime industry this week is the announcement by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) that they would release the names of the companies that have tendered for the management of South Africa’s marine and research fleet: three fisheries research vessels and four patrol vessels.

This is a situation that has been dogged with controversy and it would be nice to see some real progress made towards getting the fleet up and running and keeping it up and running.

On a lighter note, a devoted husband and dog owner made the news this week after rescuing both his wife and his Jack Russel after their yacht ran aground off Cebe on the Eastern Cape coast.

After hitting rough weather, the couple and their dog, Rosie, were forced to abandon ship. Graham Anley first swam Rosie ashore and then returned to assist his wife, whose safety gear had become snagged. All three are fully recovered and back home.

Weekly Press Review – 2 August 2013

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Last week Brian Ingpen and nine students from Lawhill Maritime Centre boarded the SA Agulhas in Simon’s Town for a navigation training voyage from Simon’s Town to Cape Town. He shared this experience in his column in the Cape Times this week.

Lawhill students do many navigation exercises, but this outing on the SA Agulhas allowed them to see the markers that they have come to recognise in theory with their own eyes. One of the tasks that they were required to perform whilst on the vessel was an accurate bearing on Slanghoek Lighthouse from the bridgewing. Completing the task on a moving ship proved a little more difficult than expected, but the students completed the task and at the same time got a chance to take in the beautiful scenery along the False Bay coastline.

It is wonderful to reading a story of an old ship making an impact on the lives of a young students and giving them the chance to experience life at sea – even if it is only for a few hours. Perhaps some of these students will go on to create more positive news headlines for the industry in their future.

Weekly Press Review – 26 July 2013

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The fishing rights allocation process has made the news again this week. Fisheries Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson published the 2013 policy for the allocation of fishing rights for eight fisheries, but according to industry consultant, Shaheen Moolla, the policy contravenes the Marine Living Resources Act (MLRA).

The latest controversy centres around co-operatives. According to the MLRA, co-operatives are not allowed to hold fishing rights. However, the newly gazetted policy has allowed co-operatives to hold fishing quotas in each sector.

Moolla has stated that no new policy or legislation may contradict an act of Parliament and believes that the policy violates the section of the constitution which states that only cabinet can approve policy.

The process has been dogged by controversy and the Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) seems to be setting themselves up for a lengthy period of appeals – as they are laying a solid foundation from which unhappy rights holders can litigate.

Weekly Press Review – 19 July 2013

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An interesting application of the Marine Living Resources Act  made the news this week. A Paarl man has been arrested for salting and preserving fish without a permit. According to the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) all fish-processing establishments as defined in section 18(1) of the act needed permits.

“The Marine Living Resources Act does not prescribe the amount, it only states that the salting of fish is processing and one requires a permit therefore,” said Carol Moses, spokeswoman for the department’s fisheries branch. The concern is obviously that this could put small fish shops and informal sellers out of business.

The department has now begun the task of “systematically addressing outlets.” Surely this will be a time consuming process which can only add to the pressure on an already stretched department.

The disgraced captain of the Costa Concordia also made the news again. Francesco Schettino, is facing the music as he faces charges of abandoning ship and manslaughter after the sinking of the cruise liner in 2012.

He has asked for a plea bargain deal in which he would serve just over three years if he admits responsibility. According to the chief prosecutor, there is “no doubt” of Schettino’s guilt. All that must be decided is “how long a sentence he will get.”

Labelled as “Italy’s most hated man” by the Italian press, it would seem that the court of public opinion is not keen to show any leniency. It will, however, be the responsibility of the court to decide the fate of a man who obviously made a terrible mistake and then chose to put his own safety above the safety of the souls that he was directly responsible for.

Weekly Press Review – 12 July 2013

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Mentioned in the press this week was the announcement of INTERPOL’s Project Scale at a symposium held at the University of Cape Town (UCT) earlier in the week.

The announcement was made by Eve de Coning of INTERPOL and the project is designed to respond to the R230bn that is lost to illegal fishing each year and was established as a separate unit to fight fishing crime due to its dramatic impact on marine resources. These crimes are not just a local concern, but have become a transnational organised crime.

“We need to understand it in the context of a much larger chain of events,” de Coning said.

It is good to see some of the legal crime fighting organisations getting behind a problem that is not just South African, but a global phenomenon that needs to be addressed globally.

Press Wrap up – 28 June 2013

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With a few delays in getting our Weekly Press Review out over the last month, herewith please find a wrap up of the media coverage of the maritime industry during June (since our last post of 7 June 2013). 

During the week ending 14th June,  The African Marine Debris Summit wrapped up in Kirstenbosch, Cape Town and although it did not really feature much in the press, one can’t help but feel that it should have.

In her opening remarks, Deputy Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Rejoice Mabudafhasi said, “Marine debris is not just an unsightly issue having a negative impact on tourism and human health but it is also responsible for deaths of a myriad of the creatures that inhabit the marine environment.”

Waste finding its way into our oceans is an ever-growing concern. Hopefully summits like these will not only draw attention to the problem, but also provide some possible solutions.

During the following week, the big news making headlines was the final outcome of the case against Hout Bay fishing magnate, Arnold Bengis, his son David and their overseas partner, Jeffrey Noll. The case, which has taken many years to reach this final stage, was brought against the three men for illegally exporting large amounts of west coast rock lobster from South Africa to the United States.

The United States has ordered that they pay an amount of R294 million in restitution to South Africa.

Desmond Stevens, acting head of fisheries for the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said, “It is a huge amount of money. South Africa’s biggest restitution in illegal fishing.” He hoped that the money would be put into the Marine Living Resources Fund to assist with the fight against poaching.

You may have seen the article written by Shaheen Moolla in our March/April issue which highlighted where he thought the money should go.

Although a slow process, it is good to see that those who try to steal and cheat and abuse our marine resources do eventually have to pay the price. And what a price.

Now we wait to see where that R294 million goes.

During the last week, the maritime industry celebrated International Day of the Seafarer. 

June 25 marked the International Day of the Seafarer. This year IMO, together with United Nations, celebrated the day with a campaign entitled: Faces of the Sea. The idea behind the campaign was to encourage both individuals and organisations to use social media as a means to highlight various activities at sea, through photographs and messages, and in this way acknowledge seafarers from around the world, celebrating them and thanking them for their efforts at sea.

In this way it was hoped that the sheer diversity and scale of products used in our everyday lives that travel by sea would be highlighted and that the 1.5 million seafarers that make this possible would be recognised for their tremendous efforts.

A clever use of the world of social media to support a group of men and women who often go unrecognised despite their valuable contribution, often made in less than ideal conditions.

Die Burger picked up on the initiative a ran a great story on some of South Africa’s seafarers.