AfricanDiver.com

We received this information from Rainer Schimpf of Ocean Messengers (an NGO based in Port Elizabeth). Rainer is a committed conservationist who is active in ocean conservation in Algoa Bay and he is passionately concerned about lack of oversight and management of the ocean’s resources in Algoa Bay.

Here’s the text of his email to us:

Here are 2 pics of one of the oil tankers (two arrived on 19.03.10) and taken by Ocean Messengers NGO.

I am not sure who the genius was who came up with the idea of bringing 2 or 3 “normal” tankers into Algoa Bay, to be followed by an, apparently, fully loaded supertanker to offload the environmentally unfriendly load of (assumed to be) crude oil or fuel, from the supertanker to the 2 or 3 other tankers.

This may be done inside Coega harbour although it seems highly unlikely, because of space constraints needed to turn these huge ships safely. Regardless of where it will be done, it is a unnecessary risk for Algoa Bay as the risk of some form of pollution is relatively high. We understand that there is NO oil contingency plan in place, NO appropriate equipment (oil spill equipment) in close proximity to Algoa Bay and NO qualified personnel available to contain a spill.

One of the preconditions for the approval of the construction of Coega was the establishment of a Marine Mammal rehabilitation centre. This has not been fulfilled. In the event of an oil spill, SAMREC will partially meet this need and Bayworld (for financial reasons) would be unable to help. For the environment in Algoa Bay, a potential problem of epic proportions exists in the event of a spill.

Ocean Messengers will carefully monitor what is going on out at sea and inform MCM and the Municipality on posible risks as and when they arise.

Who is actually benefiting from an oil transaction like this? Does the Municipality get any payments? Do other NGOs get any money to be quiet? Is Coega only trying to test its (in)ability to handle oil and a possible spill?

The enormous risk taken by this action of offloading oil inside Algoa Bay threatens the following:

1st all Blue Flag Beaches
2nd all marine mammals
3rd all marine sea birds (including all penguins on St Croix and Bird Island as well as all Gannets)
4th Addo NP and Woody Cape
5th all inhabitants and users of the Algoa Bay .

I ask seriously who takes the responsibility and who’s “head will fall” is something goes wrong!

We are about to start Soccer 2010 and are possibly facing a devastating oil pollution before the Easter Holidays. Who is responsible for taking on this risk?

Consider this: the accident of the Exxon Valdes, a tanker accident at Prince William Sund Alaska, is more than 20 years old. Yet, the coastline beaches and marine annimals are still affected by oil pollution. This happened in a 1st world country: how will a huge oil pollution problem be handeled in Algoa Bay, South Africa?

I urge all parties involved to stop this nonsense and urge all interested parties and private persons to help Ocean Messengers to raise awareness of this issue and protect (the potential World Heritage Site) Algoa Bay.

We can be contacted via our web site: www.ocean-messengers.com

Thank you
Rainer Schimpf

Well, there you have it. We think it’s a potential problem and are staying in contact with Rainer to find out how this is being handled.