Western Cape’s Berg River Estuary receives international recognition

 Over the weekend the Western Cape government and CapeNature launched the Berg Estuary in Velddrift as an official Ramsar site, and unveiled a Ramsar signboard.

This gave the wetland national and international recognition as a site of ecological importance with improved conservation action.

This was particularly significant as Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning MEC Anton Bredell previously said the Western Cape had already lost almost 50% of its wetland areas so therefore it was imperative that a “whole society approach” be taken to restore and protect wetland areas.

CapeNature chief executive officer Razeena Omar said: “The Berg Estuary, which was declared under the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance earlier this year, forms one of only four estuaries on the West Coast of Southern Africa.”

Omar said it spanned across 1 162ha and contributed to close to 60% of the estuarine habitat on the West Coast

Done by Lizeka Tsotetsi