Plans to develop a perlemoen farm in a biosphere reserve have been met with objections
Barry Streek
A decision by the national and Western Cape governments to allow a perlemoen (abalone) farm in the pristine Pringle Bay area, located in the buffer zone of the country’s only United Nation-recognised biosphere, has triggered strong criticism from local residents and environmentalists.
The two groups argue that the proposed farm contravenes the international agreement to declare the Kogelberg area a biosphere reserve and that it will set a precedent for the development of more perlemoen farms on the 65 other coastal plots between Pringle Bay and Betty’s Bay.
However, the owners of the proposed Pringle Cove Abalone farm argue that the groups’ concern are unfounded because an environmental impact study was submitted to and approved by the Western Cape Department of Environmental and Cultural Affairs and Sport.
The provincial department conducted three on-site inspections before approving the application. An application for a 15-year mariculture permit for the perlemoen farm has also been approved by the national Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism.
The proposed farm will consist of a pipe into the sea to extract seawater, tanks and a shed to house a maximum of 25 tonnes of abalone, filtration and pumping apparatus, office space, settling tanks, a pump-house, seawater ponds, another pipe to return the water to the sea, an extension of an internal road and other infrastructure, covering approximately 3500m2.
A key provision of Unesco’s biosphere agreements 324 recognised biospheres in 82 countries is that each reserve should contain precisely delineated and legally constituted core areas, clearly identified surrounding buffer zones and flexible transition zones, such as in residential areas.
Biosphere reserves can only be maintained and survive if the integrity of these zones is preserved.
In the case of the Kogelberg reserves, six volumes of evidence, 2000 pages in each, were submitted to Unesco listing every plant, every wetland and every animal in the area. Even then it was rejected the first time the application was made on the grounds that there had been insufficient consultation with residents in the area.
The Kogelberg Biosphere Association (Kobio) concedes that a single abalone grow-out facility of limited size and situated within a buffer zone property would probably not compromise the integrity of the adjacent core area.
“There are, however, a number of similar ventures being planned. The approval of this application will, no doubt, be regarded as a precedent for the approval of the applications still in the pipeline,” Kobio said.
The Pringle Bay Ratepayers’ Association is also strongly opposed to the development, particularly because it will lead to an increase in heavy traffic in the beach resort.
ENDS