iSimangalisoWetlandParkAuthorityinviteallmediaontheeventwheretheMinisterofForestry,FisheriesandtheEnvironment,MsBarbaraCreecy,willlaunchthereportbyaPanelofExpertswhichreviewedthescientificbasisforbreachingthemouthoftheLakeSt.LuciaEstuaryattheSt.LuciaEcoLodgeonThursday,28 April 2022.
Earlierthismonth,MinisterCreecyreceivedthereportandhasstudiedthefindingsandrecommendationscontainedinthereport.ThereleaseofthereporttothemediawillhappenaheadofaWorkshoponPanelReportforallstakeholdersandmembersofthePortfolioCommitteeonForestry,FisheriesandtheEnvironment.InJanuary2021themultidisciplinaryandmultisectoralTaskTeamrecommendedtoiSimangalisothatthesystemneededbreachingasashortterminterventiontoaddressecologicalchallengesoftheestuary.Thehopewasthatintheprocessthesocialandeconomicchallengesraisedbyvariousstakeholderswerealsogoingtobeaddressed.Unfortunately,themouthclosedagainnaturallyafterabout6monthsofbeingopened.
TherecommendationofthesymposiumandopeningofthemouthwaslateropposedbyanotherinterestgroupwhowrotetoMinisterofForestry,Fisheries,andtheEnvironment,MsBarbaraCreecyairingtheirdiscernmentofthedecision.Ministerappointedapanelofexpertstoinvestigateandsubmitthereporttoher.ThereporthasrecentlybeensubmittedtotheMinisterandshewasstudyingthefindingsandtherecommendationscontainedinthereportandwillmakethereportanditsrecommendationspublicduringhervisit,withanunderstandingthattheissueofthemouthiniSimangalisohasbeeninconsultationwithawiderangeofstakeholders,includingkeyscientificexperts,tourismoperators,conservationmanagers,NGOs,ruralcommunityrepresentatives,fishers,farmers,andbusinessowners.
On14April2022,lakeStLuciamouthbreachednaturallywhichwastomuchreliefofsomanystakeholders.ThehighlevelsofwaterpushingfromUmfoloziandMsunduziriversmadeitpossibleforthemouthtobreachnaturally.ThiscameafterhighlevelsofrainreceivedinKwaZuluNatalinthepastfewweekshaveservedasacatalystinresolvingtheissueofthemouth.MinisterwillvisitSt.Lucia
Media are invited to attend and cover the launch of the report as follows: Date: Thursday,28 April 2022 Time:10:00 Venue: St Lucia EcoLodge (A link for virtual participation will be issue data later stage).
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