Ecuador, a country in South America is obliged, as ruled by the country’s top court to ensure that Indigenous communities are consulted, in a clear and accessible process, before any oil and gas extractive activity is planned on or near their territory.The ruling also stated that the consultation process must be carried out with the purpose of obtaining consent or reaching an agreement with the communities. This represents a significant advance of the recognition of the rights of Indigenous people, according to the representative of Amazon Frontlines, an environmental NGO supporting Ecuador communities. Previously the consultation process had been reduced to the level of an administrative exercise.
The South African government would do well to heed the results of the Ecuadorian Constitutional Court ruling. There is a long, sorrowful history of indigenous communities being side-lined in the rush for extraction of oil and gas in South Africa but communities have had enough. They are demanding meaningful consultation in offshore oil and gas developments. This has never been so evident as it has been in the last few months, with the groundswell of opposition to the seismic survey applications in South Africa’s ocean waters. Seismic surveys include seismic blasting, which can have potentially negative impacts on ocean creatures, including mammals and fish, and on ecosystems. This, in turn, has harmful consequences for fishers’ livelihoods.
The Green Connection, supports small-scale fishers in advocacy for their livelihoods, has assisted communities to make submissions regarding inadequacies in the public participation process. Liz McDaid, Green Connection’s Strategic Lead, said that although consultants allowed the minimum required 30 days for the public to submit comments on the developments, the draft environmental management plan and specialist reports are highly technical, and most of the fishing communities and affected groups that The Green Connection works with have not heard of the reconnaissance permit application. She adds, “With so little time to comment, it is unlikely that affected communities were able to provide any meaningful comment. “
Ntsindiso Nongcavu from Port St John’s, a Green Connection Legacy programme 2021 graduate and a leader of one of the many small-scale fishing communities along the wild coast says, “seismic testing will impact our fish and other marine life and will affect the ecosystems they need to flourish. Continuing to exploit our oceans will increase our carbon emissions (thereby exacerbating climate change) and take our country into extreme poverty and hunger. All the while, only a few will enjoy the wealth. We want wellbeing for all – not wealth for a few!” His sentiment was echoed by nearly 200 concerned environmental defenders in Cape Town on the 21st November 2021, who took to the Waterfront to protest against Shell’s seismic testing vessel, Amazon Warrior, as it made its way into Cape Town harbour. Communities in Cape Town, Saldanha Bay, Langebaan, Knysna, Port St Johns, Gqeberha, Mzumbe Karoo, Durban, Richards Bay, Johannesburg, and even Leeu-Gamka held public protests against seismic surveys. One thing is crystal-clear, people are adamant that they want just change. It is time for our indigenous communities to get the same Constitutional Rights as those in Ecuador, the right to say no.
Written By: Christy Bragg
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BENDING OVER BACKWARDS, DMRE GIVES KARPOWERSHIPS ANOTHER BREAK
30 September 2021 was supposed to be the commercial close – a date set by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) – for bidders in the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme (RMI4P).
TOSACO EIA MET WITH PUSHBACK FROM CIVIL SOCIETY, TO PROTECT THE OCEAN AND SMALL-SCALE FISHER LIVELIHOODS
This week, The Green Connection submitted its comments critiquing several aspects of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process, particularly the lack of procedural fairness, as well as the conclusions reached – notwithstanding information gaps and scientific uncertainty – that should form part Tosaco Energy’s request to undertake various activities in Block 1, off the West Coast.
RECENTLY GRADUATED GREEN CONNECTORS, EQUIPPED FOR THE POLLS AND READY TO WEIGH-IN ON COP26
Following their recent graduation from The Green Connection’s Legacy Champions Programme, these newly empowered Green Connectors say they feel equipped with the necessary advocacy skills to make positive changes in their communities, starting with their vote in the local elections (1 November) and weighing in on the discussions around COP26 (which starts on 31 October) – as part of their efforts to oppose oil and gas developments in the country and offshore.
GREEN CONNECTION’S ‘FUNERAL FOR THE CLIMATE’ (AFRICAN ENERGY WEEK) AND COMMENT ON YESTERDAY’S BUDGET SPEECH
This week (10 November 2021), we joined other environmental defenders in Cape Town to peacefully demonstrate outside the African Energy Week #AEW2021 conference venue demanding an end to fossil fuels and the immediate pivot toward the just transition to a renewable energy future.
CLOSE TO 200 PEOPLE RISE AT CRACK OF DAWN TO PROTEST THE ARRIVAL OF SHELL’S SEISMIC MONSTER, AMAZON WARRIOR
On Sunday morning, (21 November 2021), before the crack of dawn, nearly 200 concerned environmental defenders took to the Waterfront to get a glimpse of Shell’s seismic testing vessel, Amazon Warrior, as it made its way into Cape Town harbour. The vessel travelled down the West coast of Africa, on its way to the Wild Coast, to conduct seismic surveys for an estimated five (5) months.
ENVIRONMENTALISTS DOUBLE-UP ON EFFORTS TO OPPOSE UPCOMING AND FURTHER SEISMIC TESTING IN SOUTH AFRICA’S OCEANS
As the groundswell of opposition against Shell’s upcoming 3D seismic survey off the Transkei builds, the Green Connection – an ecojustice NGO that supports small-scale fishers in advocating for their livelihoods – reacted with astonishment to a press statement issued by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) on 9 December 2021.