Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 18 July  1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dion George, has welcomed the Supreme Court of Appeal’s ruling upholding the ban on using drones, bait-carrying remote-controlled boats, and other remotely operated devices in fishing operations. Drone-assisted fishing gives anglers a considerable advantage over conventional recreational fishers, by allowing them to place their hooks and bait much further from the shoreline than those who manually cast their lines. George says this ruling is a significant victory for protecting marine ecosystems.

# The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs says Disaster Management Teams continue to be on high alert across the province. The South African Weather Service has issued a warning of extremely high fire danger conditions in the northern parts of KwaZulu-Natal today. The department’s spokesperson, Senzelwe Mzila, says some communities in these areas have already been affected by veld fires, and further precautions are necessary to prevent additional damage and ensure the safety of residents:

# And finally: The European Court of Auditors says the European Commission is far from achieving its goal to produce and import green hydrogen fuel. The commission has set out targets to produce up to ten million tonnes of renewable hydrogen by 2030 and import a further ten million tonnes. It also plans to install at least 40 gigawatts of renewable hydrogen electrolysers by 2030. Spokesperson Stef Blok says the commission’s targets are based on political will rather than robust analysis.

Stay tuned for more news………….