The Agulhas Plain at the southern tip of Africa provides a representation of the major challenges facing conservation authorities in the Cape, especially in the lowlands. It is rich in biodiversity and has a high number of rare, endangered and endemic plant species that are threatened by human activities.
Agriculture, alien plants and resorts have transformed much of the landscape, and almost all of the land is in private ownership. While scientists and conservationists have long been aware of the area’s exceptional diversity and threats, little was achieved in the way of formal conservation until the last decade.
Two recent conservation interventions have significantly improved the status of conservation on the plain. The first is a strategically devised programme of land purchase and contracting of private land into a national park that will safeguard the region’s priority conservation sites. It is the first park in South Africa to use a flexible, systematic planning approach.
The second is a collaborative project between the government and the private and NGO sectors, using innovative methods to integrate biodiversity in business practices. Both provide models of incorporating private land into conservation networks, the first through formal contracts and the second through co-operative agreements.
Endangered eco-system
South Africa’s Cape Floristic Region is extraordinarily rich in plant species. The most recent count stands at just over 9 000 species, of which some 70% grow nowhere else in the world. On paper, the conservation status appears quite good: approximately 20% of the region is conserved in 244 protected areas.
However, on closer inspection it is evident that this reserve network is biased towards the rugged, infertile mountain areas. Some 55% of the mountains are formally conserved, as are almost all mountain fynbos plant species.
The same cannot be said of the lowlands, where centuries of intensive agriculture have had a severe impact on the natural vegetation. Some 40% of lowland fynbos has been transformed by agriculture, and about 90% of the remaining habitat is invaded by Australian wattles.
Other threats to the lowland ecosystems include urbanisation (especially expanding coastal resort development), flooding of valley bottoms for dams, drainage of wetlands, inappropriate fire regimes and unsustainable flower harvesting. Critically, only 3% of the original extent of lowland fynbos is conserved. It is therefore not surprising that almost all the Cape’s 1 500 Red Data Book species grow in the embattled lowlands.
The Agulhas Plain is a microcosm of the issues facing conservation authorities throughout the Cape. It is biologically diverse, with 1 751 plant species (20% of the Cape’s flora), of which 99 species are endemic.
This extraordinary terrestrial biodiversity is complemented by a series of wetland habitats that are internationally recognised for their unique assemblages of amphibians and birds. The coastline supports rich marine and intertidal life and provides breeding sites for rare and endangered bird species. The marine, estuarine, coastal and island biodiversity has been identified as extremely conservation-worthy.
The threats to conservation are compounded by the fact that almost all of the plain is privately owned. The majority of landowners (70%) are involved in commercial farming activities that have a negative impact on the conservation status of their properties.
The region is also characterised by a large number of marginalised, poor communities, with unemployment estimated at more than 50%.
The shifting sand dunes in these coastal areas were considered a threat to agriculture and an intensive planting programme was initiated. Today the biggest management cost in the state forests and many of the surrounding private properties is the removal of alien trees planted there only a few decades ago by the state.
The Western Cape Nature Conservation Board now administers these state reserves. Cuts in conservation budgets over the past decade have resulted in a situation where there is virtually no funding available for conservation management on the reserves.
They house no facilities for tourism, generate virtually no income and are beset with management problems, including poor access control and dense alien vegetation cover. Consequently, by 1990 only about 5% of the Agulhas Plain was formally conserved.
Turning point
Serendipity and the need for academic institutions to actively market their products was a turning point in the development of the Agulhas National Park. In addition, a conservation initiative, born out of a dynamic private-sector tourism project, was to have a significant influence on the future conservation management of the area.
Grootbos Nature Reserve
In 1991 Michael Lutzeyer, a businessman from Cape Town with little conservation expertise, purchased a 127ha farm near Gansbaai. His decision to buy the farm was based on its spectacular view over the Atlantic Ocean, rather than its biodiversity value.
He converted it into a holiday farm, with the intention of developing a self-catering facility for local patrons. The development model was, however, influenced by political stability and the significant increase in foreign visitors following the first democratic elections of 1994. The owners recognised the potential economic benefits of catering for the foreign tourism market. The guest farm was upgraded to an upmarket lodge with a restaurant, conference facility and luxury suites designed to blend with the surrounding indigenous milkwood forest.
A property that had previously been poorly managed as a cattle and flower-harvesting farm employing four staff members was converted into an ecologically managed lodge employing 44 full-time staff members. More than half the employees come from the surrounding impoverished communities and these previously unskilled staff were trained to fulfil the many requirements of a fully functioning tourist lodge.
From the beginning the Lutzeyers realised the importance of basing the business on the spectacular natural beauty and diverse flora and fauna of the region. The lodge and cottages were built of natural stone and thatch, and every effort was made to integrate the development into the environment with minimum damage to biodiversity.
Wherever possible, local artisans and craftspeople were used in building and infrastructure development. The 3ha of grazing fields around the lodge were converted into an indigenous fynbos garden and in 1995 the farm was registered as a private nature reserve and opened to its first guests.
Putting biodiversity to work
The mission statement of the reserve is to conserve the biodiversity of Grootbos and its surrounds through ecotourism, scientific research, conservation management and education. The Lutzeyers immediately employed qualified biologists and conservationists to run their guided tours and to develop their conservation projects.
Encouraging conservation staff to pursue their interests in natural history has not only resulted in better conservation management of the reserve, but also lower turnover in guiding staff. Three neighbouring farms were added in 1996 and 1997, increasing the size of the reserve to 1 050ha.
The information collected by the conservation staff was integrated into a comprehensive GIS-based management plan for the reserve, which was completed in January 2000. The plan covers a five-year period and includes a systematic alien clearing programme, fire, road and collection management.
The reserve has subsequently been cleared of all primary-growth alien vegetation, controlled burns have been carried out and biodiversity surveys are ongoing. A milkwood forest restoration project was initiated in which guests can participate by sponsoring trees that are nursery-reared and planted out into the forest.
An indigenous plant nursery has been developed on the property to provide a suitable range of indigenous plants for local gardens and landscaping projects.
The guiding philosophy at Grootbos aims to convert science into stories in such a way that nature comes to life for the guests. Biodiversity and conservation become interesting through educational trips and recreational activities.
Despite initial difficulties in marketing fynbos and marine ecosystems as tourist attractions, Grootbos has established itself as South Africa’s premier flora and marine lodge. On all tours guides emphasise the threats posed to the natural environment and the role that Grootbos and its conservation partners are playing in countering these threats.
Marketing lessons
Using fynbos to attract tourists to a nature reserve proved unsuccessful. While there was some demand from specialist groups who travel specifically to see plants, the vast majority of international guests visit Africa to view big game. The problem is compounded by a lack of a co-ordinated effort to market the Cape’s unique floral wealth.
Market forces influence business practices and Grootbos was forced to develop its marketing strategy around five-star accommodation, service and food.
To this they added a package of natural attractions emphasising marine fauna, especially whales, penguins and seals.
The fynbos tours proved very popular once the guests had arrived at Grootbos. Ultimately business practices have influenced the market forces and an increasing percentage of guests now visit the reserve primarily to view the flora.
The Grootbos project has provided opportunities for a number of supportive businesses and tourism operators. Local boat-based tour operators who take clients out to view whales, seals and penguins would not have viable businesses without the client base provided by Grootbos. Grootbos provides accommodation for upmarket clients who visit the area to view great white sharks. A number of other local businesses, including laundry, cleaning and transport services, rely largely on business provided by Grootbos.
Expansion
The development of collaborative conservation in the area was accelerated by the acquisition of a 578ha portion of land adjacent to Grootbos by Fauna and Flora International (FFI) in 1999.
FFI’s involvement arose out of the imminent threat of conversion of the Flower Valley property from natural vegetation to viticulture. Initial efforts to safeguard the site were made by Carol Blumenthal, a neighbouring landowner. She provided the driving force behind what has become a major conservation project in the region.
Blumenthal privately funded a 10% non-refundable deposit on the property and negotiated a one-year period to secure the remaining finance. Having failed to obtain financial support in South Africa, she went to the United Kingdom, where at the 11th hour she mobilised the necessary funds with the aid of the Cambridge-based NGO, Fauna and Flora International (FFI).
FFI used its extensive fund-raising network to raise an emergency fund to complete the acquisition. They were particularly impressed by the conservation value of Flower Valley, with its regional biodiversity, high levels of local conservation expertise, co-operative conservation partnerships, support from local conservation agencies and the existing momentum of other conservation initiatives in the region (the Agulhas National Park and Grootbos).
In the context of the regional reserve network planning, Flower Valley was not a priority site. However, here was an example of a threat to conservation provoking action. In this instance priorities were waived and threats used to galvanise support.
FFI has subsequently been involved in financing the acquisition of priority land for the Agulhas National Park in a core conservation area. It has also become intricately involved in conservation planning in the CAPE project, and with Flower Valley as its flagship project will continue to have an influential role in fynbos conservation in the future.
The trust was fortunate in that it was able to immediately employ a young, enthusiastic and competent couple to manage the business as well as co-ordinate the conservation and social projects. This was crucial, as the aims of biodiversity business are ambitious, requiring high levels of commitment and a broad skills base from management.
The core business remains the export of fynbos flowers to European flower markets. The business buys fynbos from a number of other farms covering 20 000ha of the Agulhas Plain. This makes it possible to influence land management practices over a large area using economic incentives.
The trust is developing a niche market overseas through an internationally recognised certification system. Establishing eco and/or fair trade labels is the best way to establish the credentials of a biodiversity business product. To become certified, farmers are required to follow strict guidelines covering all aspects of flower production. The objective is to maintain the use of wild harvested products as against the cultivation of fynbos crops.
Establishing a conservancy
In December 1999, the first 11 landowners (including Grootbos, Flower Valley and the Walker Bay Nature Reserve) were registered and the Walker Bay Fynbos Conservancy was formed. Subsequently, a further five property owners have joined the conservancy, which now covers 12 160ha.
Since its formation the conservancy has established itself as a committed and forward-thinking conservation group. It has developed its own constitution and established a fund-raising trust in which all members are trustees.
Recent research has shown that farmers are unlikely to clear invasive alien plants from their properties for financial investment reasons alone, unless they are very far-sighted. There is clearly a need to approach conservation in a building-block manner, allowing landowners to retain rights over land and gradually working towards greater conservation security with those who wish to receive greater rewards.
South Africa needs to develop a classification system, as most people are reluctant to sacrifice any rights immediately, even for the noble cause of conservation.