Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 24 January 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# The DA urges president Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene in the delays faced by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development in rolling out vaccines for avian flu affecting the poultry industry. The party criticises the current cull-and-kill approach, stating it has failed to contain the outbreak, causing economic losses and animal welfare concerns. The DA’s Noko Masipa calls on the government to prioritise the livelihoods of poultry farmers and to ensure fair compensation, including food security:

#  South African National Parks has commended the SANParks Honorary Rangers for their significant contribution of 80-million-rand last year, to projects making a difference in national parks. The honorary rangers contributed a total of 313-thousand hours of duties to SANParks totalling an average of 155 hours of duty per member. SANParks Honorary Rangers, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary, is a volunteer organisation that is open to anyone with a passion for nature and a dedication to supporting it.

# And finally: The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds has expressed concerns over the South African Navy’s underwater explosive exercise near Boulders Beach at Simon’s Town, Cape Town, which concludes next Thursday. Environmental activists, including BirdLife SA, worry about potential impacts on marine life and the endangered African penguin. Sanccob’s head of Conservation, Nick Stander, highlights concerns about noise implications on the penguins and mentions ongoing bio-acoustics research to better understand the effects of noise on seabirds, both underwater and above water.

Stay tuned for more news………….