Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 24 March 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dion George, will lead the G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group, as part of South Africa’s Presidency of the G20. The first virtual meeting will take place tomorrow. George says priority focus areas for South Africa’s presidency of the group include biodiversity and conservation, land degradation, chemicals and waste management, climate change and air quality, and oceans and coastal management:

The departement has also confirmed the presence of high pathogenicity avian influenza H5N1 virus on Marion Island, southeast of Cape Town. The island is home to close to half of the world’s Wandering Albatross, and millions of other seabirds. At least six of the 31 bird species on the island have been infected by the deadly bird flu. The department’s spokesperson, Peter Mbelengwa, says there are concerns that the virus will also affect marine mammals:

# And finally: Pollution in the rivers flowing through the Cradle of Humankind northwest of Johannesburg poses significant environmental and economic challenges. Treated water from the Percy Stewart wastewater treatment plant is released into nearby rivers or streams. Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site Association director, Trevor Brough, told the SABC that untreated or partially treated sewage has also been flowing from the plant into the Blougatspruit:

Stay tuned for more news………….