Clarity soon on aqua farms

A recent assessment report that earmarks four possible aquaculture farming zones in Algoa Bay should be available to the public by March.

The department of agriculture, forestry and fisheries revealed this on Wednesday, in response to an article in The Herald on Monday regarding the Bay’s fish farm plans pressing ahead despite an earlier public outcry.

Department spokesperson Merle van Diemel said the environmental impact assessment was in a very early stage, but declined to say if it intended to apply for more than one fish farm zone.

“The current plan is to do a pre-application public comment in March 2019 and formal public comment period on the draft Basic Assessment Report in May and June,” she said.

A pre-application public comment period is not a requirement by law.

The basic assessment process, however, is a legislated requirement and only requires one public comment period during the draft basic assessment release.

The six-page assessment report identifies one of the zones as being off Hobie Beach and two others in the Addo Marine Protected Area.

The fourth is outside the Port Elizabeth harbour.

The report also highlights that the department intends to apply for at least one of the zones.

Last week, The Herald sent questions to the department in an attempt to get clarity on the project.

“It is pre-emptive to respond to these queries as they will all be responded to in the pre-application report and could lead to confusion,” Van Diemel said on Wednesday.

The study into aquaculture sustainability in the Bay comes after late environmental affairs minister Edna Molewa suspended the project due to a public outcry which led to several appeals.