Often referred to as “the Environmental Airforce”, The Bateleurs is a conservation organisation with around 200 volunteer pilots, flying with passion and purpose for the environment. A registered NPO, the organization offers free aerial support to conservation organisations requiring help in the form of aviation logistics. Funding is provided by both sponsors and pilots, with the donor funds covering fuel costs and the pilots providing their time and the bulk of the aircraft costs. For sponsors, this offers a significant return on their investment in terms of conservation returns, as for every Rand donated there is another three Rand’s worth of expenses donated by the pilots.
The Bateleurs are best known for their missions to relocate endangered and/or injured wildlife across the country by air, but the conservation work they undertake is diverse and covers so much more than just relocations. Wildlife tracking, anti-poaching, photo-reconnaissance, baseline media gathering and information gathering surveys all form part of the services provided by these passionate pilots flying for conservation.
So, what does all this have to do with International Coastal Cleanup Day, celebrated on Saturday 21st September in 2024?
Started by the Ocean Conservancy in 1986, International Coastal Cleanup Day has become a big event on the marine conservation calendar. Globally it is mostly concerned with localised trash collection efforts, with communities around the world organizing coastal and/or beach cleanups in their areas. But, while a worthy and important exercise, coastal cleanups are about so much more than just collecting plastic and other rubbish strewn along our shores.
Along South Africa’s iconic West Coast there are hundreds of kilometers of coastline that have been allocated mining rights by the Department of Minerals and Energy, each application often considered in isolation, and without appreciation for the overall footprint of the total area of coastline to be destroyed in the name of economic growth and profit. Very often there is little to no oversight of these mining companies, many of whom fail to adhere to their permit conditions in terms of areas allowed to be worked and the rehabilitation that is supposed to take place once the relevant minerals have been extracted.
Protect the West Coast (PTWC) is a NPO established in 2020 by a group of concerned citizens who wanted to put a stop to the illegal and destructive mining activities which are running rampant along this sensitive and biodiverse region. Comprising a diverse spectrum of people including scientists, journalists, activists, legal and media experts, as well as surfers, fisherman and others who make use of the coast, the PTWC team works for the organisation to ensure that mining on the West Coast of South Africa is conducted with the correct and proper oversight in accordance with fundamental principles of the law.
Over the last few years, the Bateleurs have contributed to marine conservation and coastal cleanup efforts by providing PTWC with aerial resources for photo-reconnaissance, media and intelligence gathering, and helping to document the current state of environmental degradation that exists on the West Coast. This information is being used to hold the various mining companies to account, forcing them to comply with their permit conditions through media advocacy, legal challenges and partnerships with local communities and other organisations.
Moving southwards, more recently the Bateleurs have assisted the UP Marine Mammal Institute Whale Unit with their aerial count surveys of southern right whales along the Cape south coast, helping to gain an understanding of the factors affecting the reproductive success of this keystone species. Clean and pollution free coastlines are fundamental to retaining our magnificent marine megafauna and the Bateleurs are grateful for the opportunity to be able to contribute.
With the most recent appointment to the Board of Directors being none other than Dr. Judy Mann-Lang, an internationally awarded and recognised marine scientist who now works as the Executive for Strategic Projects at the Two Oceans Education Foundation, it really is no surprise to see the Bateleurs conservation efforts evolving to include marine conservation missions and doing their bit to help keep our coasts clean.
Happy International Coastal Cleanup Day!
Commenti