COASTWATCH PROJECT

Brief description:
Coastwatch is an effective coalition of members and interested and affected parties working to achieve the conservation, management and sustainable development of the coastal zone and offshore marine resources of KZN. Coastwatch operates under the auspices of WESSA KZN as a dedicated project committed to the well-being of the KZN Coast.

Principal benefits:
Coastwatch strives to promote a healthy coastal environment with equitable and diverse opportunities for all the people of KZN. Coastwatch members comment on all development proposals in their geographic areas and also work in collaboration with their local authorities to find solutions to the many challenges facing our coastline in KZN.

Principal Partners:
People interested in our coastal environment who would like to be involved on a voluntary basis. Most members have some qualification in terms of coastal matters or/and a great deal of passion for the coastal zone . Currently we have approximately 20 active volunteer members on our committee who live along the coastline of KZN.

Duration:
Coastwatch was launched in February, 1998 and is on-going and gaining momentum. Coastwatch serves on the Provincial Coastal Committee as well as various members serving on their relevant Regional Coastal Committees.

Sustainability:
This project is sustainable in its current form but we would like to see it expanded.

Funding:
Coastwatch is run entirely on donations from the public. Administration back-up is provided by WESSA: KZN from its H.Q. in Brand Road, Durban.

Expanded Project Detail:
Ideally we would like to find sponsorship to employ full-time staff to run this project and extend the project throughout South Africa.

Progress:
This project has become well-known in KZN and is now gaining recognition throughout South Africa. Members are working with conservancies, interest groups and local authorities along our coastline and our advice and opinions are sought by the general public on an increasing scale.

Contact Details:
Co-ordinator: Di Dold Tel: 031-2013126 - January, 2007

Prior to, and during, 2003 Coastwatch members and other I & APs were uncertain as to whether there was any impact from the effluent discharged through the pipelines off the Durban coast. Many user-groups complained about the effect the pipelines were having on their activities but these impacts remained unsubstantiated. Following the various annual monitoring report back meetings of the marine pipeline operators, it was apparent that, although the immediate effect of the individual discharges was being monitored, there was no:

•  uniform regulation of these activities
•  standard methodology for monitoring
•  determination of the assimilative capacity of the receiving environment
•  understanding of the cumulative effects of the discharges

Phase 1:
In collaboration with the eThekwini Municipality, (whose assistance and participation was paramount to the success of this project), and the pipeline operators, a consultant was commissioned to perform outfall monitoring reviews for the larger KZN marine discharges within eThekwini. The independence of the process was ensured through the appointment of Coastwatch as the Chair and WESSA KZN as the administrative authority of the Coastwatch Pipeline Initiative. A Steering Committee of regulators and pipeline operators was established, advised by a Scientific Working Group, who would debate the outcomes of the meeting and make recommendations to the Steering Committee. Payment for work undertaken was made through Coastwatch, meaning that the polluters and regulators could not be accused of paying the consultant to make "favourable" recommendations and could remain impartial to the stakeholders, yet accountable to the Steering Committee. The initial reviews focused on two eThekwini outfalls and were conducted in 2003. Subsequent reviews conducted in 2004 focused on the Huntsman Tioxide, the Umbogintwini Operations Services (UOS) and SAPPI SAICCOR outfalls on the KZN upper south coast. Each of these reviews assessed the respective monitoring programmes conducted as part of Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) permit or licence conditions. All the operators implemented the recommendations stemming from the reviews.

Phase 2:
The consultant was then asked to conduct an investigation into the cumulative effects of a wider range of discharges to sea off the KZN coast. This work was funded by the authorities (DAEA, DEAT-MCM, National Port Authority,and eThekwini as both an authority and a pipeline owner). The National Ports Authority (NPA) is vital to this assessment due to the fact that its dredging operation discharges into the eThekwini marine environment and they participated in funding portion of the related costs.

The overall conclusions drawn from this investigation are:

1. The sediment trace metal distributions appear to be mostly explainable by the distribution of land-derived silt and clay minerals in the system.
2. The Durban dredge spoil dump site has apparent non-lithogenic sources of trace metals (zinc) on it and the adjacent sediments.
3. Thukela Bank sediment copper, chromium, nickel, and arsenic exceed conservative toxicity effect threshold guidelines, and a proportion of the nickel concentrations are in the range of probable adverse biological effects.
4. There is evidence of the bioaccumulation of zinc in rock lobster digestive gland tissue in the Durban Bluff area; this was not evident in sites to the north or south.
5. Aside from the indications of zinc accumulation in rock lobster digestive gland tissue, this survey did not detect any cumulative environmental effects that could be attributed to the deepwater marine outfalls or dredge spoil disposal on the KwaZulu Natal coast.

The recommendations that arise from the work are:

1. Initiate longer term monitoring of trace metal concentrations in Thukela Bank sediments (e.g. 3 year intervals).
2. Conduct a survey into the possible bioaccumulation of contaminants in the commercially important shrimp on the Thukela Bank fishing grounds.
3. Review the existing trace metal distribution data to determine whether 'background' concentrations can be established for the region (Base-line trace metals which would occur naturally without any man-made additions).
4. Expand rock lobster sampling (locations and numbers) in the eThekwini area to check the observed digestive gland zinc distribution.
5. Initiate surveys to improve the monitoring of the Durban Dredge Spoil site and determine the behaviour of dredge spoil dumped on it, and possible toxic effects.

Coastwatch is extremely grateful to all participants and feels that the process has gone a long way to address the initial concerns of the I&APs and has also developed a strong cooperative ethic between previously antagonistic parties.

Future:
Coastwatch will be working on addressing and sourcing funding for the recommendations mentioned above. In addition, it is envisaged that the Coastwatch Pipeline Initiative will be replicated in areas that do not have such strong monitoring programmes, and further establish the cooperative processes between the authorities, dischargers and the public at large.