SOUTH African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) has been working around the clock monitoring mop up operations carried out by independent service provider, Drizit Environmental, cleaning beaches and shorelines on the coast.
SAMSA, working with Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), has been actively involved in containing and minimising the impact of the damage caused in the harbour following massive storm that hit Durban on 10 October. Five ships broke mooring and had to be refloated, however, four containers went missing.
In the last few days a mixture of plastic cargo has been found in some parts of the ocean. They had washed up along some of the beaches.
ALSO READ: Aggressive cleaning of harbour spillage continues
On Monday, SAMSA’s Principal Officer Captain Hopewell Mkhize met with Transnet Port Authority and Drizit, among others, to get a clearer understanding of how far the contents of the containers had reached.
Mkhize said: “Bad weather and strong winds has hampered much of the clean-up. However, the operations have resumed. We have worked around the clock to monitor the clean up and get regular updates. Since the storm on October 10 we have been mindful about the environmental risks and have acted in accordance with safe and clean measures to avoid contamination of the ocean.”
The clean-up operations started on Durban beaches while assessments are still ongoing in other parts of the province.
“We need the teams to carry out their work now and within a week we will meet again with all parties to assess the clean-up and what further steps to take,” Mkhize said.
Mkhize was confident that only four containers went missing during the storm and they have all been recovered. On Saturday, 28 October, SAMSA monitored the retrieval of the last two shipping containers which were found in the sea bed of Durban Harbour. Mkhize thanked the local communities and beachgoers for their assistance in identifying washed up plastics and reporting them to authorities, and in some cases assisting with removing it from the ocean.
Drizit has a central collection point at Durban Ski Boat Club (79 Browns Rd, Point, Durban) where these plastic pellets may be dropped off. Drizit can be contacted on the 24-hour toll free line 0800 202 202.
DA responds to nurdle ‘crisis’
AT a recent full Council meeting, speaker of eThekwini, William Mapena, rejected the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) request to table an urgent notice of motion requesting that the executive committee investigate to intensify the nurdle cleanup operation on eThekwini beaches.
Councillor Marlaine Nair, DA eThekwini Environmental Planning and Climate Protection Spokesperson, said the DA understood the enormity of the ecological crisis and the impact of having several tons of nurdles in the ocean over a prolonged period of time. She said the motion sought to highlight the threat to marine life and humans, emphasising the effects of pollutants and pesticides on the food chain through the ingestion of these nurdles.
ALSO READ: Nab some nurdles and save our beaches
The DA sought to intensify the cleanup operation by requesting an increase in financial and labour resources, a report from eThekwini Municipality outlining details surrounding the nurdle spillage, progress made thus far as well as the plan of action to deal with the crisis and engagement with National and Provincial government with the intent of securing further support.
“Councillor Mapena rejected the urgent motion stating that the motivation submitted failed to establish its urgency,” she said.
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