Capacity in government to manage inland waters from an ecological perspective

Dean Impson

Presentation to FEN, 2018

A recommended minimum capacity per provincial environmental agency

• Aquatic manager

• Aquatic scientist – limnological training, aquatic inverts, responsible for rivers

• Fish scientist – training in ichthyology

• Wetland scientist

• Two dedicated technicians to provide field support

• For coastal provinces – the above plus an estuarine scientist and estuarine technician

• i.e. 8 staff for coastal provinces and 6 staff for inland provinces

Current capacity of coastal provinces in environmental agency

W Cape

• Fish scientist (Impson) MSc

27 yrs

• River / Wetland scientist

(Gouws) MSc 12 yrs

• Aquatic technician (Jordaan)

PhD 10 yrs

• De Villiers (programme

manager estuarine) MSc 27

yrs

KZN

• Aquatic scientist (Kubheka) MSc 3 year

• Two estuarine scientists (Kyle &

Bachoo) PhD, MSc; 27, 12 yrs

• Estuarine and wetland technician

(Caroline Fox) >17 yrs

N Cape

• Aquatic scientist (Ramollo) MSc 10

yr

E Cape

No inland waters staff

Current capacity of inland provinces in environmental agency

Mpumalanga

• Aquatic scientist (Roux) PhD 22yr

• Wetland scientist (Marias) MTech 22y

• Aquatic scientist (Hoffman) MSc 27yr

• Aquatic scientist (Simelani) Btech 10yr

Free State

• Aquatic scientist (Barkhuizen) PhD >26y

• Wetland scientist (Collins) MSc >26 y

Gauteng

• Aquatic scientist ( Ashla Gohell) MSc 5

yrs

• Blesbokspruit Project manager and

River Health champion (Tebogo

Nkadimeng) BSc Hons 8 years

• Wetland Scientist MSc (Happy Khumalo)

9 years

• Blesbokspruit Administrator (Bismark

Mashau) 12 yrs

North- West

• Fish scientist (Nemutandani) MSc 3yr

• Vacant aquatic scientist post

Limpopo

• Aquatic scientist (Masindi) MSc

12 yr

• Aquatic technician (Rodgers)

Higher Diploma NC 20yr

Rivers with fish CBA’s per province

N Cape

Orange, Sak, Oorlogskloof

Free State

Orange, Riet, Vals, tribs of Wilge

around Harrismith

North West

Mooi, Tributaries of upper

Crocodile and Marico

Limpopo

Shingwedzi, Luvuvhu, Letaba, Mokolo,

Lephalala, Mogalakwena, Nwanedi

Gauteng

Magalies, Bloubankspruit

Mpumalanga

Tribs of Olifants, Sabie, upper Usuthu,

Crocodile, Komati, upper Vaal

E Cape, W Cape, KZN

Too many rivers in each to list

Why survey Fish CBA’s?

• Fish CBA’s are generally where threatened fish species are found

• They should be surveyed at least every 5 years, with fish CBA’s with endangered species surveyed every 1-2 years

• The survey should report on:

Presence of the threatened fish species, and associated native species

Status of the threatened fish species (common, uncommon, recruiting)

Threats to the native fish community – invasive fishes, invasive plants, over-abstraction, sedimentation, pollution, other impacts

Key riparian land-owners and contact details

This information then feeds into NBA, IUCN Red List, conservation planning (and revision of fish CBA’s), invasive species maps etc

Monitoring of fish CBA’s by provincial conservation agencies since the last NBA

W Cape

• Some fish CBA’s monitored, especially in Nature Reserves

• Data can confirm if threatened species still present, but not status

KZN• No monitoring of fish CBA’s done

by Ezemvelo• However the Aquatic Ecosystem

Research Programme of UKZN has monitored 12 fish CBA’s

N Cape

• 10 sites on Orange, but no fish monitoring since 2015 as equipment damaged

E Cape

• No monitoring of fish CBA’s done by provincial conservation agency

• Some fish CBA’s surveyed by SAIAB, but not for the purpose of monitoring of trends

KZN rivers monitored by the AERP of UKZN (map: Mahomed Desai)

Monitoring of fish CBA’s by provincial conservation agencies since the last NBA

Mpumalanga

• All fish CBA’s monitored, except upper Olifants and upper Vaal

• Data sufficient to report on trends

Free State

• No monitoring of fish CBA’s (they question data quality)

• Excellent monitoring of fish communities in dams (PhD done)

Gauteng

• Three large catchments done quarterly but not upper Crocodile where fish CBA’s areNorth- West

?????

Limpopo

• 42 of 79 fish CBA’s monitored• 216 sites on 8 perennial rivers

monitored every 3-4 yrs!!• Can report on trends

Acknowledgements Provincial aquatic conservation colleagues

Gordon O’ Brien, Mahomed Desai

Craig Garrow

Don’t forget to keep an eye on us please!!!!