Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 20 October 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# The Grootvadersbosch Conservancy near Heidelberg in the Western Cape has won international recognition at the 2025 Reverse the Red Accelerator Awards in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, for its efforts to save the endangered Tradouw redfin. Found only in the Huis River, the tiny freshwater fish faces threats from invasive species and drought. The conservancy’s project has restored riverbanks, created local jobs, and raised community awareness. The award provides funding and global support for further conservation, including plans to establish safe new habitats for the Tradouw redfin.

# The National Council of SPCAs has welcomed a renewed focus on humane solutions to the elephant population crisis in North West. This follows an investigation into the deaths of 75 elephants at Madikwe and Pilanesberg Game Reserves, between August last year and January this year due to starvation during severe drought conditions. Members of Parliament’s portfolio committee on Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment recently visited the reserves. The NSPCA has also reaffirmed its opposition to trophy hunting as an elephant population control method.

# And finally: Deforestation has slowed down in every region of the world in the past decade. This is according to new data from the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation. The data shows that every year for the past decade, the world has been losing around 10.9 million hectares of forest. Forests still cover approximately 4.14 billion hectares, or about one-third of the total land area of the world. FAO’s Anssi Pekkarinen says forests are important for food security and livelihoods:

Stay tuned for more news………….