Jumping for Joy as Seismic Survey Halted
By Lloyd Edwards

Tuesday, 28th December 2021

I guess if I were a Humpback whale, I would be jumping for joy as the Seismic Survey has been stopped. I managed to take this series of photos earlier this year on rapid fire with my trusty Nikon. It only took me 30 years to get the sequence with one of the images totally out of the water. We spotted a juvenile Humpback whale on our cruise out into Algoa Bay yesterday, so they are still around.

The judgment stated that those responsible for the surveys “are hereby interdicted from undertaking seismic survey operations under the Exploration Right 12/3.252”. What amazing news for everyone involved and for the health of our marine ecosystems. A special thanks to the legal team who stuck to their task until the end. Shell cannot continue with the survey until they have applied for the necessary Environmental Authorisation. This will take time and be another massive exercise.

Now that this battle has been won, we must tackle the ship to ship bunkering here in Algoa Bay that has also been allowed to proceed without Environmental Authorisation. We have engaged with the Minister on this issue and have received great news. We will hold a public feedback meeting in the New Year. Another issue we feel very strongly about is the entanglement of whales and dolphins in fishing gear, especially that from the Rock Lobster Fishery. I am also due to make a presentation to the Fisheries Management Working Group in the New Year. We will keep you posted