Marine scientists and recreational fisheries cooperate in research effort on smoothhound sharks

6 November 2009

The Department of Environmental Affairs' marine and coastal management branch and the West Coast Shore Angling Association are jointly hosting a smooth hound shark tag and release tournament on Saturday 7 November 2009 at the Langebaan Lagoon on the West Coast, Western Cape. This forms part of research into the population of smooth hound sharks in the Langebaan Lagoon system.

This tournament, known as the Langebaan Lagoon Smoothhound Shark Derby, is aimed at promoting collaborative opportunities between marine scientists and fishers to strengthen the sustainable management of marine resources. It will further assist with the existing research on the smoothhound shark population in Langebaan Lagoon.

Recent studies have shown that the Langebaan no-take fishing area is a nursery ground for smoothhound sharks. It also shows that smoothhound sharks spend up to 99 percent of their time inside the Langebaan Lagoon Marine Protected Area (MPA) with larger more mature animals more likely to leave the protection of the lagoon than smaller sharks. The tag and recapture experiment will help to identify the stock size of the population of these species within the Langebaan–Saldanha bay area and the results will inform the management of these species.

This competition does not only represent an exciting angling experience but also an opportunity for anglers to actively participate in research on a locally important species aimed to assure the sustainable management of the smoothhound shark, based on sound scientific knowledge.

Only anglers who are registered members of the South African Shore Angling Association (SASAA) will be accepted to fish in this tournament. A maximum of 150 anglers will be allowed to participate. The West Coast Shore Angling Association is a member of the South African Association of Audiologists (SAAA).

The derby is taking place from 5h00 when registration starts at the Langebaan Yacht Club. Angling will be from 06h00 until 15h00.

For further information contact:
Carol Moses
Cell: 082 829 3917
E-mail: cmoses@deat.gov.za

Issued by: Department of Environmental Affairs

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Cape Town given most blue flags for beaches in South Africa

Cape Town, South Africa - Over the past few years we have seen the beaches of South Africa fall into absolute neglect, some Durban beaches that used to be some of the best in the world lost their blue flag status and the pollution has never been so high with some places even seeing raw sewerage flowing into the ocean.

Cape Town however received a the most blue flag status beaches in South Africa which tells a lot about the governance here.

Statement by the DA:

The Democratic Alliance welcomes that Cape Town has been awarded the most Blue Flag accredited beaches in the country. The Blue Flag awards will strengthen the warranted perception that Cape Town is a world class tourist destination.

Blue Flag status is a voluntary eco-label award only awarded to beaches that have achieved the highest quality in water, facilities, safety, environmental education and management. The program is run by the independent non-profit organisation Foundation for Environmental Education and covers over 3,450 beaches and marinas in 41 countries worldwide.

For Cape Town this comes at the most opportune time – just ahead of the 2010 World Cup and it means that tourists can enjoy our beaches knowing that they meet the highest quality standards.

However the DA is concerned about the absence of Durban’s beaches on the Blue Flag list and the fact that the city lost several Blue Flag awards on its beaches because its municipal manager, Michael Sutcliffe, does not see the benefits in participating.

Sutcliffe, who appears to be the only one at odds with the national drive to improve our beaches, said the loss of Blue Flag status for the city had not affected tourism. He claims that Durban’s beaches are of a higher standard than required by the Blue Flag scheme. If this is the case, why does he not want the city to take part in it?

If Sutcliffe has any evidence to support his theory he should produce it. Sutcliffe however appears to be driven by his own agenda, despite the support of the Blue Flag scheme by the DA and the ANC.

As the DA sees it, there are plenty of reasons to join the Blue Flag scheme. It encourages good practices regarding water quality, environmental management, safety, services and environmental education. Secondly, it allows the municipality to openly fly the Blue Flag, which helps to promote the beach to tourists.

The Western Cape has several accredited beaches. This year Plettenberg Bay’s Robberg 5, Yzerfontein main beach, Mossel Bay’s Santos, Hartenbos and Kleinmond near Hermanus have been added to the list. Cape Town, meanwhile, has Blue Flag status for seven of its beaches: Clifton Fourth, Camps Bay, Muizenberg, Strandfontein, Mnandi, Bikini Beach in Gordon’s Bay, and Big Bay in Blouberg.

The DA will urge Tourism Minister, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, to encourage all coastal municipalities to engage in the Blue Flag scheme ahead of the World Cup so that South Africa can maximise its tourism potential.

News from FTO.co.za

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Transnet considering investment on the West Coast.

State freight logistics group Transnet, in consultation with manganese exporters, expects to decide within the "next four to five months" whether to develop a new export channel through the deepwater harbour at Saldanha Bay, on South Africa's West Coast, or to proceed with an alternative model involving ports on the country's eastern seaboard.

Acting CEO Chris Wells tells Engineering News Online that the group is also interrogating several possible private-sector participation (PSP) models for the two alternatives, both of which would involve "significant investment".

He refuses to be drawn, however, on the amount of capital that could be involved, or on the nature of the partnerships being investigated, saying only that the PSP model is integral the plan and is being canvassed with the miners as the studies progress.

For their part, the miners involved (BHP Billiton, African Rainbow Minerals and Assore) have indicated previously that they would prefer to "go west", and convert the high-performance Sishen-Saldanha line into a dual commodity channel for iron-ore and manganese.

That said, they have supported Transnet's investigations into both a western corridor, as well as an eastern corridor involving the harbours of Port Elizabeth, Ngqura and Durban. Still, the miners feel that greater efficiencies would be possible on a channel that is dedicated to bulk commodities, rather than one that will also have to cater for general freight.

Currently, the Sishen-Saldanha heavy-haul line is dedicated to iron-ore exports, and has emerged as Transnet Freight Rail's (TFR's) top performing corridor during 2009.

In the six months to September 30, export tons increased by 32,7% to 21,1-million tons in line with contractual commitments TFR has with Anglo American's Kumba Iron Ore and Assmang, the joint venture between African Rainbow Mineral and Assore.

The manganese miners would like to have access to this channel so as to boost exports from the Kalahari manganese field to some 12-million tons a year, from the current position of around five-million tons yearly, most of which is currently moved through the depth- and land-constrained harbour at Port Elizabeth.

The Port Elizabeth channel has a theoretical capacity of six-million tons yearly, but it is unlikely that this nameplate will ever be achieved, owing to a number of constraints, especially relating to stockpiles.

"The big issue is that there is demand from the industry for a 12-million ton business, which is a massive ramp-up," Well explains.

Under the current configuration, the yearly peak is expected to be about seven-million tons, with Port Elizabeth probably only able to handle 4,5-million tons and with Durban in a position to handle up to 2,5-million tons.

So, to reach the 12-million target, there are only two alternatives: to develop a terminal at the new deepwater harbour at Ngqura and continue using Durban for the overflow; or transform the bulk terminal at Saldahna into a dual commodity facility for iron-ore and manganese.

The iron-ore channel was in the process of being ramped up from 47-million tons to 60-million tons, but significant levels of capital will be required to go beyond that level.

"To move to 80-million tons, which the iron-ore industry wants, will require massive investment into new infrastructure and rolling stock," Wells outlines, adding that any move towards the 100-million ton level once mooted, "looks prohibitively expensive".

However, a combined 90-million ton channel, with 78-million tons for iron-ore and 12-million tons for manganese, "looks full of potential"- this is reportedly because there would be a greater sharing of risk, especially at the port, than would be the case if only one commodity was involved.

"Either way, the investment would be significant, and while we could probably cater for it on our balance sheet, we would probably look at some kind of PSP with the miners," Wells concludes.

Story by Terance Creamer of the Engineering News

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PETROSA Saldanha Bay

PETROSA has thrown open the doors for other potential users of the oil storage facilities at Saldanha Bay and at Milnerton, in Cape Town.

Many potential customers have reportedly shown great interest in using the spare capacity at the tank farm at Milnerton in Cape Town.

The Milnerton tank farm includes 39 crude oil above-ground storage tanks. Only between five and eleven of the tanks are in use. This leaves the possibility of contracting out up to 28 of these tanks to either a local or overseas customer.

The present oil market is in ‘contango’, a term used in the oil trade to describe a situation where higher oil prices are anticipated. The oil price has halved in recent months. Oil traders are storing oil in anticipation of price increases. Storage facilities throughout the world are in short supply. This creates the possibility that South Africa may find a local or international customer for its additional storage capacity at Milnerton, CBN reported in April.

The hiring out of storage facilities is a highly lucrative business. The Strategic Fuel fund has shown annual profits in access of R150 million for the past three years, and this has mainly been due to its letting contracts for the oil storage tanks at Saldanha Bay.

The Saldanha tank farm consists of six huge concrete containers, which hold 7.5 million barrels of oil each. Built partly underground it has a total capacity of 45 million barrels of oil, which makes it the biggest oil storage facility in Africa, and one of the biggest in the world. A measure of its size is that it would take the cargoes of between 20 and 22 very large oil ships before the tanks are full.

South Africa’s strategic fuel supply of some ten million barrels is stored at Saldanha. One tank is allocated to Chevron and the additional capacity is used by foreign oil merchants. This has become a highly profitable operation.

The Saldanha oil facility was built at a time when South Africa was facing an oil embargo, and could have become a ‘white elephant’ once that threat was removed.

Strategic oil stocks held at Saldanha, as well as eight disused coal mines at Ogies in Gauteng , were drastically reduced. Aggressive marketing found customers in Britain and Switzerland for the spare capacity in Saldanha, and a potential liability was turned into a profitable foreign exchange earner for South Africa.

News taken from http://www.cbn.co.za

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Mykonos Casino Langebaan

WHILE Sun International is celebrating the award of a new 15 year casino licence for its Boardwalk casino in Port Elizabeth, it seems as if the gaming giant’s dominant hand in Cape Town is set for a shuffling from a West Coast rival.

Last month Gold Reef Resorts – the owners of two Western Cape gaming licences in Mykonos and the Garden Route – signalled its intention to challenge Sun International’s exclusive casino licence in Cape Town.

The move, according to reports, would entail moving the Mykonos licence from its current location near Langebaan closer to Cape Town.

Such a move would have a major impact on Sun International, which scores substantial profits from its GrandWest casino in Goodwood.

In the year to end June 2009 the GrandWest casino – despite a fall in revenues and profits - generated turnover of more than R1.6 billion and R675 million in gross profits.

That means GrandWest accounts for 22% of Sun International’s annual revenue, and a chunky 28% of gross profits.

Currently Sun International holds the exclusive Cape Town licence until the end of 2010. Business Day quoted Gold Reef’s CEO Steven Joffe as saying he was “keen to explore the option of opening a casino nearer to Cape Town…”

Interestingly, Sun International also faced challenges to its dominant position in the Port Elizabeth market, where there were rumblings last year that other bidders could muscle into the windy city’s casino industry. (see accompanying story on the PE casino drama).

CBN notes that the renewal of Sun International’s Port Elizabeth licence comes at quite a cost – new investments of R1 billion, which will include a five star hotel, an international convention centre and a water tunnel (supposedly set to be the longest in the world).

Presumably the large amounts invested by Sun International into GrandWest will come into consideration when negotiations around exclusivity are tackled. No doubt future investments into GrandWest and surrounds will also be a key consideration.

Speaking to CBN, Joffe explains that Gold Reef will approach the Western Cape government with a scheme that requires gaming participants to pay for casino exclusivity in Cape Town after the end of 2010.

He suggests such a scheme will bolster government coffers in terms of social spending.

One can understand Gold Reef’s desire to bring its machines and tables closer to Cape Town. At the moment the West Coast economy is not looking terribly conducive to vibrant discretionary spending or as a location to attract swarms of well-heeled visitors.

Asked how Gold Reef would deal with a casino licence in Cape Town, Joffe says compensatory investments will need to be made in Mykonos.

He says this can entail Limited Payout Machines, bingo centres or the construction of a hotel. “We would have to make sure we take care of all staff.”

Commenting on Gold Reef’s interim results to end June, Joffe notes that the economy in the Western Cape is one of the hardest hit with the property and tourism sectors most significantly affected.

He adds that provincial gaming revenue dropped 8%.

Joffe says revenue at the Mykonos Casino fell 2% to R55 million, which he believes is an acceptable achievement considering the difficult market conditions as well as a decline in footfall of 15%.

He says the refurbishment of the casino has been completed and 22 slot machines have been added to the gaming floor.

Although Joffe says costs are well managed, gross profits from Mykonos dropped 8% to R22 million with the trading margin squeezed to 40%.

Interestingly, it is the Garden Route casino that actually did worse than the Mykonos casino in the stagnant Western Cape market.

Interim figures released by Gold Reef shows the Garden Route Casino near Mossel Bay dropping turnover by 6% to R76 million on the back of a 5% slowdown in footfalls. Gross profits slipped 15% to R34 million.

Despite the fall-off in revenue and profits the casino will go ahead with planned capital expenditure of R37 million to add 36 new slot machines as well as general improvements to the gaming floor and food/beverage facilities.

It’s quite possible that the Western Cape gaming pie has also been affected by Sun International’s recently opened Golden Valley casino in Worcester starting to hit its straps.

The Golden Valley casino turned over a not insubstantial R109 million in the year to June 2009, and managed operating profits of some R34 million.

This article was taken from http://www.cbn.co.za website

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Lagoon Life Festival, Langebaan

The inaugural Lagoon Life Festival will take place in Langebaan this coming weekend 24 & 25 October. The Festival has its roots dating back to 2003 when the first paddling race organised on the Langebaan Lagoon was staged. This event has evolved, thanks to major input from Driftwoods Restaurant, who have sponsored the event for the last 6 years. Last year saw the addition of a Sunday paddling race and 2009 sees the transformation into a major outdoor sporting festival. Among the new events on offer this year are; Stand-Up-Paddling, Kitesurfing, Sailing, Trail Running and Mountain Biking. The unique Lagoon and weather conditions at this time of the year lend themselves to making these types of events spectacularly successful.

There is something on offer for everyone, with watersports leading the way as well as land-based for those who prefer to keep their feet dry. The paddling, SUP, running and Mtb events all offer an option for children to take part as well.

Registration online or on Friday night @ Driftwoods, Langebaan 1800-2100

www.lagoonlife.net

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Three Cities bags Queensgate Hotels management account, Shelley Point Hotel is part of the group.

Three Cities Management Limited (“Three Cities”) today announced that they have entered into an agreement with Queensgate Hotels & Leisure Limited (“Queensgate”). The agreement will see Three Cities taking over the management of all Queensgate Hotels with immediate effective, on a fee sharing basis. The deal will see the Three Cities room stock grow by an additional 600 rooms within 8 hotels and by early 2010 a further 400 rooms – putting the growth at almost 50% over the next 6 months.

Mike Lambert, Chief Operating Officer of Three Cities commented, “We are excited about the long term opportunities that this reciprocal agreement brings. Our alliance will enable us to capitalise on each other’s strengths and focus on core competencies, where we look forward to developing internationally and growing our local destinations.”

Another opportunity will see Three Cities offering the hospitality industry training in world class Spa operations, based on Queensgate’s One Wellness Spa Division, this will be offered by Three Cities educational training division The International Hotel School.

The second phase of the symbiotic relationship will see Three Cities hand over its hotel development opportunities to Queensgate Business Development, a subsidiary of Queensgate. This will effectively mean that all business development for both groups will be handled by Queensgate, being a core competency of theirs.

Three Cities Group manages and markets over 40 quality tourism and leisure properties. Their unique portfolios of properties include City Hotels, Resorts, Exceptional Safaris and the Exceptional Collection, as well as three campuses of The International Hotel School, an Equestrian Academy and the largest Marine Theme Park in Africa – uShaka Marine World in Durban. Their highly regarded services will give the Queensgate hotel portfolio the management expertise, sales, marketing and online reservations, resulting in building the Queensgate individual properties reputation in the market place.

Queensgate Hotels and Leisure CEO, Andrew Hubbard, comments: “We are excited about this agreement which will not only see our hotels managed by the exceptional Three Cities, but also transfer reservations for our hotels to Three Cities’ sophisticated online reservation service which will enhance our customers’ experience. In addition, the link with Three Cities will strengthen the position of Queensgate hotels in the corporate, government and domestic sector, an area in which Three Cities has traditionally been and is very strong.”

The Queensgate portfolio being managed by Three Cities include the following:

• Park Inn, situated on the historic Greenmarket Square of Cape Town is ideally located for the vibrant business and government traveller, with 144, four star rooms.
• Hollow on the Square is situated in the heart of the city of Cape Town and within walking distance from the International Convention Centre (CTICC) and the V&A Waterfront. With stylish and modern accommodation this hotel offers 116 rooms in a 4 star environment.
• Cape Town Hollow Boutique Hotel, nestling in the shadow of Table Mountain. This 4 star Hotel offers stylish serene accommodation with spectacular views from its 56 rooms.
• Rockwell All Suite Hotel inspired by buildings from the turn of the last century in downtown Manhattan, New York, this 4 star executive apartment hotel displays an inherent richness and warmth in 55 apartments.
• Shelley Point Hotel, Country Club & Spa is nestled on the silvery white sands of lush green Peninsula Village of Shelley Point, on the Western Cape coastline. This 4 star, 80 room hotel is situated approximately 90 minutes from Cape Town.
• The Avenue Hotel was established in 1936, the 4 star Hotel is situated on the False Bay coastline in the small town of Fish Hoek and offers 51 en-suite rooms.
• The Alphen Hotel is a National Monument, a historic 21 room Country Manor House which offers more than just accommodation. It is the heart of a former Wine Estate, centrally situated in the Peninsula and at the gateway of the Constantia Valley and Wine Route.
• Tinga Private Game Lodge situated on the banks for the Sabi River in prime game viewing area of the Kruger National Park. This 5 Star lodge is located near Skukuza and has 18 chalets in 2 Camps.

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