Bhisho has declared a new environmental protection area for the Eastern Cape.
The 68,075ha Indalo Game Reserves Protected Environment spans the Sundays River Valley, Ndlambe and Makana local municipalities and includes fynbos and Albany thicket, typical of the bush around Addo.
The new protected area comprised eight existing private game reserves, grouped under the Indalo forum, and was a significant boost for conservation, Wilderness Foundation Africa chief executive Dr Andrew Muir said yesterday.
“It allows Indalo to add additional pieces of land to the protected environment, as long as they meet the same criteria.”
The new entity falls under the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA) and the Eastern Cape Biodiversity Stewardship Programme.
The land was previously conserved within the individual reserves but it had not been part of the state conservation system, Muir said.
“Effectively, the land moves from ‘agriculture use’ zoning to ‘conservation use’ so it is now part of South Africa’s official protected area management strategy.
“Technically, Indalo reserves should now be able to benefit from the same kind of expanded public works programmes that other protected areas receive.”
These programmes include Working for Water, focused on alien eradication and water conservation, and Working for Woodlands, focused on the conservation of forests.Muir, who also sits on the board of the ECPTA, said the declaration was a big step in the right direction for conservation.
“We believe that the future of conservation is in meaningful partnerships beyond reserve boundaries, and stewardship is a very powerful tool that the state has to achieve this end.”
The Indalo Game Reserves Protected Environment comprises the Amakhala, Kariega, Kwandwe, Pumba, Shamwari, Sibuya, Hopewell and Oceana game reserves.
It was declared by Eastern Cape Environmental Affairs and Tourism MEC Lubabalo Mabuyane at Mpekweni Beach Resort on Friday.
Mabuyane said his department recognised “the need to work in partnership with all sectors of our society to meet our conservation commitments.
“It is encouraging to see how private landowners are prepared to work with government to expand protected areas for the benefit of all people and greater socioeconomic impact.”
Indalo chairman Mark Palmer hailed the declaration as a historic achievement.
“It sees the value of working together to a greater conservation goal,” Palmer said.
“At the same time, we believe that this will attract more tourists to our lodges, and our region as a whole.”