The valuation of riparian fisheries in Southern and Eastern Africa

This paper reviews the published and gray literature concerning economic valuations of river fisheries in eastern and southern Africa, extracting the best available information on their direct economic values and on the impacts of changes in water management on this value. It then assesses the methods used and makes recommendations regarding approaches to be used in future. The review concentrates on rivers with their associated floodplains and major deltas. The values and issues associated with estuaries and lakes are not considered

Book Review: Wetland birds, habitat resources and conservation implications

Book Title: Wetland birds, habitat resources and conservation implicationsBook Author: Milton W. Weller Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. ISBN 0-521-63362-1 (paperback). ISBN 0-521-63326-5 (hardback). 271 pp

Patterns of distribution, diversity and endemism of larger African Mammals

Patterns of distribution and diversity (= species richness) of larger African mammals, and three subsets thereof (ungulates, carnivores and primates), are identified and analysed quantitatively. Distributional patterns generally correspond well with those of present-day vegetation types and of resident non-aquatic birds. However, the precise locations of zonal boundaries and the degree of zonation differ between groups, primarily reflecting their different ecological requirements. Large mammal diversity increases towards the equator, but diversity patterns differ substantially between the groups. Diversity is positively correlated with vegetation type diversity, and vegetation types analysed as separate units explain over 85% of the variance in the diversity of the mammal groups investigated. In addition, both distributional and diversity patterns appear to have been affected by past environmental factors

A synthesis of three decades of socio-ecological change in False Bay, South Africa: setting the scene for multidisciplinary research and management

Over the past three decades, marine resource management has shifted conceptually from top-down sectoral approaches towards the more systems-oriented multi-stakeholder frameworks of integrated coastal management and ecosystem-based conservation. However, the successful implementation of such frameworks is commonly hindered by a lack of cross-disciplinary knowledge transfer, especially between natural and social sciences. This review represents a holistic synthesis of three decades of change in the oceanography, biology and human dimension of False Bay, South Africa. The productivity of marine life in this bay and its close vicinity to the steadily growing metropolis of Cape Town have led to its socio-economic significance throughout history. Considerable research has highlighted shifts driven by climate change, human population growth, serial overfishing, and coastal development. Upwelling-inducing winds have increased in the region, leading to cooling and likely to nutrient enrichment of the bay. Subsequently the distributions of key components of the marine ecosystem have shifted eastward, including kelp, rock lobsters, seabirds, pelagic fish, and several alien invasive species. Increasing sea level and exposure to storm surges contribute to coastal erosion of the sandy shorelines in the bay, causing losses in coastal infrastructure and posing risk to coastal developments. Since the 1980s, the human population of Cape Town has doubled, and with it pollution has amplified. Overfishing has led to drastic declines in the catches of numerous commercially and recreationally targeted fish, and illegal fishing is widespread. The tourism value of the bay contributes substantially to the country’s economy, and whale watching, shark-cage diving and water sports have become important sources of revenue. Compliance with fisheries and environmental regulations would benefit from a systems- oriented approach whereby coastal systems are managed holistically, embracing both social and ecological goals. In this context, we synthesize knowledge and provide recommendations for multidisciplinary research and monitoring to achieve a better balance between developmental and environmental agendas

Biogeography and the selection of priority areas for conservation of South African coastal fishes

Prioritisation of areas for biodiversity conservation has been debated largely in the terrestrial realm. In response to the increasing need for conservation efforts in the marine environment, this study compiles and analyses available data on species distributions and compares different approaches to the selection of marine protected area sites for the conservation of South Africa's coastal fish diversity. Species richness decreases from Mozambique southwards to the Cape, due mainly to a subtropical subtraction effect, and is uniformly low along the west coast. The number of species endemic to southern Africa is also higher in the east than the west, and peaks in the region of Port Elizabeth. Hotspot analysis does not provide a useful site-selection tool in a linear (coastal) analysis, at least in the absence of abundance data. Cluster analysis shows that coastal fishes conform to the same three biogeographical provinces as other marine taxa, although the zonal boundaries vary between groups and are particularly difficult to determine for fishes. Multidimensional scaling better illustrates the fairly even rate of species turnover east of Cape Point. The selection of sites at the centre and boundaries of vaguely-defined biogeographical zones is thus relatively difficult, and excludes several localised endemics. These problems can be resolved by using complementarity analysis. In the absence of abundance data, to avoid 'reserving' species at the periphery of their ranges, a pragmatic approach is developed, in which data are refined to include species' core distributions only. The roles of existing marine protected areas are also considered in assessing future conservation needs

Ecosystem service values of sediment generation and entrapment by marginal coral reefs at Sodwana Bay, South Africa

Coral reefs provide a multitude of goods and services, some of which are difficult to value due to their intangible nature and the absence of markets to ascribe their relative worth. The coral reefs of Sodwana Bay on the northeast coast of South Africa provide several ecological goods and services, of which only two are considered here: namely, sediment generation and sediment entrapment. Both are deemed essential to the functioning of theSodwana Bay economy. The replacement-cost method was used to estimate the annual financial cost of sediment provided to the study area if it were replaced by dredging. Sediment generation by the coral reefs was valued at R2.6–R4.8 million, and sediment entrapment valued at R71.8–R84.6 million, totalling between R74.4 million and R89.4 million (≈$5.6–$6.7 million, at R13.38/US$1) per year. Keywords: beach-user questionnaire, bioclastic sediment, biodiversity, coastal sand, economic valuation, iSimangaliso Wetland Park, replacement cos

Priority areas for conservation of South African coastal fishes; hotspot, biogeographical and complementarity approaches

Prioritisation of areas for biodiversity conservation has been debated largely in the terrestrial realm. In response to the increasing need for conservation efforts in the marine environment, this study compiles and analyses available data on species distributions and compares different approaches to the selection of marine reserve sites for the conservation of South Africa's coastal fish diversity. Species richness decreases from Mozambique southwards to the Cape, due mainly to a subtropical subtraction effect, and is uniformly low along the west coast. The number of species endemic to southern Africa is also higher in the east than west, and peaks in the region of Port Elizabeth. Hotspot analysis does not provide a useful site-selection tool in a linear (coastal) analysis, at least in the absence of abundance data. Cluster analysis shows that coastal fish conform to the same three biogeographical provinces as other marine taxa, although the zonal boundaries vary between groups and are particularly difficult to pinpont for fish. Multidimensional scaling better illustrates the fairly even rate of species turnover east of Cape Point. The selection of sites at the centre and boundaries of vaguely defined biogeographical zones is thus relatively difficult, and excludes several localised endemics. These problems can be resolved by using complementarity analysis. In the absence of abundance data, to avoid 'reserving' species at the periphery of their ranges, a pragmatic approach is developed, in which data are refined to include species' core distributions only. The roles of existing marine reserves are also considered in assessing future conservation needs

The working for water programme : evolution of a payments for ecosystem services mechanism that addresses both poverty and ecosystem service delivery in South Africa

A payments for ecosystem services (PES) system came about in South Africa with the establishment of the government-funded Working for Water (WfW) programme that clears mountain catchments and riparian zones of invasive alien plants to restore natural fire regimes, the productive potential of land, biodiversity, and hydrological functioning. The success of the programme is largely attributed to it being mainly funded as a poverty-relief initiative, although water users also contribute through their water fees. Nevertheless, as the hydrological benefits have become apparent, water utilities and municipalities have begun to contract WfW to restore catchments that affect their water supplies. This emerging PES system differs from others in that the service providers are previously unemployed individuals that tender for contracts to restore public or private lands, rather than the landowners themselves. The model has since expanded into other types of ecosystem restoration and these have the potential to merge into a general programme of ecosystem service provision within a broader public works programme. There is a strong case for concentrating on the most valuable services provided by ecosystems, such as water supply, carbon sequestration, and fire protection, and using these as ‘umbrella services’ to achieve a range of conservation goals. The future prospects for expansion of PES for hydrological services are further strengthened by the legal requirement that Catchment Management Agencies be established. These authorities will have an incentive to purchase hydrological services through organisations such as WfW so as to be able to supply more water to their users

Determining a charge for the clearing of invasive alien plant species (IAPs) to augment water supply in South Africa

South Africa is running out of water supply options. One option, however, is to control invasive alien plant species (IAPs) within water catchment areas and in riparian zones. The National Water Act and subsequent documentation provide a guide for the use of economic instruments to manage invasive alien plant species at a national, but also at a water management area level. This paper determines the method and level of such an invasive alien plant control charge as part of the water resource management charge

The working for water programme: Evolution of a payments for ecosystem services mechanism that addresses both poverty and ecosystem service delivery in South Africa

A payments for ecosystem services (PES) system came about in South Africa with the establishment of the government-funded Working for Water (WfW) programme that clears mountain catchments and riparian zones of invasive alien plants to restore natural fire regimes, the productive potential of land, biodiversity, and hydrological functioning. The success of the programme is largely attributed to it being mainly funded as a poverty-relief initiative, although water users also contribute through their water fees. Nevertheless, as the hydrological benefits have become apparent, water utilities and municipalities have begun to contract WfW to restore catchments that affect their water supplies. This emerging PES system differs from others in that the service providers are previously unemployed individuals that tender for contracts to restore public or private lands, rather than the landowners themselves. The model has since expanded into other types of ecosystem restoration and these have the potential to merge into a general programme of ecosystem service provision within a broader public works programme. There is a strong case for concentrating on the most valuable services provided by ecosystems, such as water supply, carbon sequestration, and fire protection, and using these as 'umbrella services' to achieve a range of conservation goals. The future prospects for expansion of PES for hydrological services are further strengthened by the legal requirement that Catchment Management Agencies be established. These authorities will have an incentive to purchase hydrological services through organisations such as WfW so as to be able to supply more water to their users.