• Agricultural Research Council – Plant Protection Research Institute; Range and Forage Institute; Institute for Soil, Climate and Water

• Council for Scientific and Industrial Research

• Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT), Divisions of Biodiversity, and Marine and Aquatic Pollution Control

• Department of Water Affairs and Forestry

• National Botanical Institute of South Africa (SANBI)

SOUTH AFRICAN AGENCIES & ORGANISATIONS

South African agencies & organisations

SOUTH AFRICAN AGENCIES & ORGANISATIONS

South African agencies & organisations

• SAFRINET works to strengthen taxonomic capacity important to identifying invasive species and their natural enemies, and to documenting the impact of invasives on biodiversity.

• SAFRINET also works to strengthen institutions and communication between them, and to carry out regional training.

• Plant Protection Research Institute undertakes research on beneficial insects, such as pollinators, and micro-organisms like mycorrhizae, that are threatened by invasive species. It is involved in capacity building for quarantine and for information technology networks.

SAFRINET AND THE PLANT PROTECTION RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Safrinet & PPRI

• Ukuvuka involves the development of a campaign in which all stakeholders (authorities, commercial interest groups, landowners and the general public) together ensure that they are never again placed at such an elevated fire risk resulting from IAS (as was the case in Cape Town in January 2000).

• It has united all stakeholders behind a common cause and fostered many varied partnerships.

UKUVUKA

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• WFW was started in 1995 to conduct and coordinate alien-plant management throughout SA.

• WFW initially worked only in watersheds and riparian areas, but now leads alien plant management initiatives in all natural and semi-natural ecosystems.

• It has grown into one of the world’s biggest programmes dealing with IAS. Its’ multi-faceted and cross-disciplinary nature has enabled it to leverage local and international funding and continuing political support.

• The programme is driven by multi-disciplinary ecological, hydrological, social and economic goals (Richardson and van Wilgen, 2004).

WORKING FOR WATER

Working for Water

• The Kirstenbosch declaration http://www.invasivespecies.gov/new/kirstenbosch.htm states that landowners are under a legal obligation to control invading alien plants occurring on their properties.

• A list of declared weeds and invader plants in South Africa can be found at http://www.dwaf.gov.za/wfw/Legal/Docs/doc/Table%203%20prom080301.doc

• A list of declared indicators of bush encroachment in South Africa can be found at http://www.dwaf.gov.za/wfw/Legal/Docs/doc/Table%204%20prom%20080301.doc

POLICIES & LEGISLATION

Policies & Legislation

• Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act 43 of 1983(CARA) - it is unlawful to allow various species of weeds and invader plants to grow http://www.nda.agric.za/docs/Act43/Eng.htm

• National Veld and Forest Fire Act 101 of 1989 - a legal obligation to control invading alien plants http://www.acts.co.za/national_veld_and_forest_fire_act_1998.htm

POLICIES & LEGISLATION - ACTS

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Policies & Legislation - acts

• Section 31A of the Environment Conservation Act 73 of 1989 states that:

• “If, in the opinion of the Minister or …[other] authority concerned, any person performs any activity or fails to perform any activity as a result of which the environment is or may be seriously damaged, endangered or detrimentally affected, the Minister or … [other] authority, as the case may be, may in writing direct such person – to cease such activity; or to take such steps as the Minister or … [other] institution… may deem fit, within a period specified in the direction, with a view to eliminating, reducing or preventing the damage, danger or detrimental effect.”

http://www.acts.co.za/enviro/

ENVIRONMENT CONSERVATION ACT

Environment conservation act

• The Minister or other authority may further require the responsible person to rehabilitate any damage.

• Should the responsible person fail to do so the Minister or other authority may rehabilitate the damage and recover from the responsible person any costs incurred.

• Failure to comply with this is a criminal offence.

ENVIRONMENT CONSERVATION ACT cont.

http://www.soultravel.nu/2003/031010-celebs-NDU/index.asp

Environment conservation act cont.

• “No person may unlawfully and intentionally or negligently commit any act or omission which detrimentally affects or is likely to affect a water resource.”

• Failure to comply with this is a criminal offence. It is therefore possible to institute criminal proceedings against an offending landowner or land-user.

• In addition, it may include an order to discontinue the activity and to remedy the adverse effects.

• A stand of invasive alien plants exceeding 1 hectare in extent could be regarded as a plantation that is being grown without a water use permit in terms of the National Water Act.

http://www.acts.co.za/national_water_act_1998.htm

NATIONAL WATER ACT

National water act

• “Every person who causes, has caused or may cause significant pollution or degradation of the environment must take reasonable measures to prevent such pollution or degradation from occurring…”

• The National Environmental Management Act makes it possible for the Director General of Environmental Affairs and Tourism or a provincial head of department or a local authority to direct a person causing such pollution or damage to the environment to remove the cause.

• Should such a directive be ignored the Director General may adopt reasonable measures to remedy the situation and to recover from that person the costs thereby incurred.

http://www.polity.org.za/html/govdocs/legislation/1998/act98-107.html?rebookmark=1

NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT ACT

National environmental management act

Category 1 plants – e.g. Long Leaf Wattle and Pampas Grass

• They are declared weeds

• They may not occur on any land or on any inland water surface throughout SA

• No person may: sell, agree to sell or offer advertise, keep exhibit, transmit, send, convey or deliver for sale, or exchange for anything or dispose of to any person in any manner for a consideration, any weed, or in any manner permit whatsoever disperse or cause or permit the dispersal of any weed from any place in the Republic to any place in the Republic

CATEGORIES OF INVASION

http://www.cameraclub.co.za/main.asp?catid=47&libid=6FD90-91E5A-00001B

Categories of invasion

Category 2 plants – some Pinus spp., Eucalyptus spp., Acacia cyclops (Rooikrans) and Port Jackson

• They are generally plants grown for commercial purposes but may also be used as a woodlot, shelter belt, building material, animal fodder, soil stabilisation or other beneficial function that may be determined

• They are invader plants that may only be allowed to grow in demarcated areas.

CATEGORIES OF INVASION

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Categories of invasion cont.

Category 3 plants – e.g. Jacaranda

• Category 3 plants are invader plants that may continue to grow where they already exist, and do not have to be removed.

• However, no new planting or trade or propagating of these plants is permitted

CATEGORIES OF INVASION

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Categories of invasion cont.

• The land user must control those weeds or invader plants by means of any of the control methods that are appropriate for the species concerned and the ecosystem in which it occurs.

• Any action taken to control weeds or invader plants must be executed with caution and in a manner that will cause the least possible damage to the environment

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PLANTS OCCUR IN CONTRAVENTION OF THE REGULATIONS?

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Plants occurring where they shouldn’t

• It is a criminal offence to ignore the regulations and to allow species to grow in contravention of them.

• The Department may issue a directive setting a date by when the property must be cleared

• The directive is binding on a successor-in-title (person to whom the property is later sold)

• The Department can clear the land or engage someone (such as Working for Water or an implementing agent or an emergent contractor) to do so.

• The costs of this clearing can then be recovered from the land user and can also be registered against the title deeds of the property. This is then like a mortgage bond. The property can’t be sold until these moneys have been repaid

WHAT HAPPENS TO LAND USERS WHO FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REGULATIONS?

What happens to land users?

• The Department is considering introducing a prohibition on the transfer or sub-division of land unless it has first been certified as being free of weeds and invader plants. If accepted, this will not be included in the regulations but in the Act itself when it is amended later

• Committing a criminal offence in terms of these regulations may result in a summons being issued. Conviction for a first offence carries a possible penalty of a R5 000 fine, imprisonment or both.

WHAT HAPPENS TO LAND USERS WHO FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REGULATIONS?

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What happens to land users? cont.

• Many problems in South Africa and around the world arise because of a lack of awareness

• Of the species (which species are IAS?)

• Impacts (what damage are these species causing?)

• Legislation (what am I obligated to do about it according to the law?)

• Eradication (how do I get rid of them?)

• Alternative options (what indigenous species can I use?)

PUBLIC AWARENESS

http://www.profittools.com/d/dists/billmain/common/archives/2003-17/

Public awareness

Links to other chapters

I hope that you enjoyed the NISL-EI Invasion Biology Course!!

Chapter 1 Definitions

Chapter 2 History, globalisation and GMOs

Chapter 3 The human dimension

Chapter 4 Pathways of introduction

Chapter 6 The ecology of biological invasions

Chapter 5 Characteristics of invasive alien species

Chapter 7 Impacts of invasive alien species

Chapter 8 Invasive species management

Chapter 10 Ecological restoration

Chapter 9 Predicting invasive spp. occurrence and spread

Chapter 11 International perspective

Chapter 12 South African perspective