Name: Richard Zwane

School: Lipolethu High School

P.O.Box 190 Ubombo, 3970

Marine Pollution can originate on land and be washed or carried into the ocean, it can be introduced from marine sources or from the atmosphere. 80% of marine Pollution emantes from land-based sources. Over 60 pipelines along South Africa’s coast dialy discharge about 800 million litres of household and Industrial effluent into the sea.

In South Africa, Intertidal resources are more Productive on the west coast than they are on eastern Shores yet, ironically Harvesting Pressure is more intense on the East Coast. The result is that the shores that are least able to Provide. For on Intertidal harvest are those most heavily utilised. Many of the rocky shores along the East Coast have been denuded of shellfish and other invertebrates and there are examples of local over exploitation of certain target species; for many bait species the collection process damages the environment. (let’s use these resources wisely for the benefit of Present and future generation).

South Africa’s spectacular Coastline, with its long golden beaches, is attracting an ever increasing number of people seeking recreation while most people gain access to the beach on foot, there is a growing trend to use a variety of off-road vehicles(orvs) such as beach buggies, dune bikes and 4X4’s, to access the beach rapidly and reach secluded bathing or fishing spots. Unfortunately, the use of off-road vehicles is not compatible with the more passive forms of recreation and often leads to conflict with other beach users, and has a variety of ecological impacts.

However, driving on bare unvegetated dunes which are ustable and dynamic features, sand down wards. This can result in dune breaches and the destruction of the Protective buffer function Provided by the dunes. In cont rast the Pioneer vegetation of the foredune area helps to anchor the sand, and also provides habitat for ear worms, insects, spiders, lizards and small mammals. This vegetation extremely sensitive to disturbance, with the greatest damage being after the first few passes of an ORV. It can face years to recover if damaged with negative consequences for the natural functioning of the dune beach ecosystem.

The impacts of the plastic litter on marine ecosystems may be measured in terms of biological impacts and economic impacts. Biological impacts can be defined as those that affect marine animals and ecosystems, independent of their relationship with humans. Economic impacts are those which have a direct bearing on People and the resources they exploit. The most effective way to tackle the marine litter problem South Africa, may be to reduce the amount of material used in our applications, such as packaging. Plastics manufactured should be responsible for the disposal costs associated with their products and re-use Programmes should be supported by a deposit system. Public Education should play and increasingly important role in addressing the litter Problem, with communities encouraged to tackle the Problem its source.

Oil pollution of the sea attracts public attention because it is visible. Many people will encounter oil pollution when they visit coastal areas and others will watch the devastating effects f oil spills on television, or read about them in the Press. But accidents at sea are not the only way that oil enters the ocean environment; there are a number of other routes by which a estimated 2.5 million tons of petroleum hydrocar contaminates out seas every year. Become exhausted and die. Penguins are particularly vulnerable because they cannot fly and must enter the water to feed – because of oil pollution oil slicks that wash onto beaches can have serious economic effects due to loss of fishing and tourism activities. When liquid oil spills into the sea it spreads over the surface of water and forms a thin film – an oil slick. An oil slick may have a devastating effect on the environment. If it contaminates rocky shores oil can cause severe damage to the intertidal areas smothering invertebrates and killing algae. On some beaches, liquid oil penetrates into the substratum where low oxygen levels slow the degradation Process.

Another growing sector is the hake handline fishery, which has been poorly studied to date. However, it is known that hake caught by longline, but larger than those caught by longline but large than those caught by trawl. The inshore trawl fishery operates along the South Coast and comprises mosthly small side trawlers working in waters shallower than 110m on the agulhas bank. Juvenile fish remain close in shore but are believed to take shelter in deeper water during winter storms. Older fish occur Progressively deep or to a depth of about 125m. Agulhas Sole grow slowly, reaching a maximum length of about 50 cm when the fish is more than 12 years old. The west coast sole grows almost 4 kg, are not uncommon,. The demersal fishery which uses trawl gear to exploit bottom- living fish in South Africa’s most valuable fishery. Hake makes up most of the catch , but sole and horse mackerel are also targeted, and these resources are the only ones for which catch limits are imposed.

The major draw back to mussel harvesting on the west coast is the prevalence of red toxic tides along this coast. Mussels filter out the red tide organisms and concentrate and retain the poison in their bodies for about 4 months. As few as two contaminated mussels can prove fatal if eaten by humans. The human population is low on the west coat and there is very limited harvesting of mussels there. On the South and East coasts red tides hardly ever occur and the human population is enormous so mussels are collected intensively. This has often resulted in conflict between the different user groups and conservation authorities. In KwaZulu Natal Nature Conservation officials spent long nights sitting in the bush waiting to catch poachers that stripped the shore using Pangas.

The participation in this research will give me a chance to be a ware of the environmental and tourism of the other countries as we are going to research at Sodwana Bay. It will help me to understand life under the sea as the catch will be mainly under the sea.

This will help me to encourage my community with the environment a ware nessis and the importance of tourism.