INTO OKUMELE UYAZI

The document outlines proposed survey activities by Main Street 1549 (Pty) Ltd in Blocks 9 and 11B/12B off the southern coast of South Africa. It describes the technical nature of the surveys—including bathymetry, sonar, and ROV use—and the potential negative impacts on marine biodiversity, local livelihoods (fishing, tourism, and shipping), and cultural heritage. The pamphlet serves as a call for public participation, detailing a schedule of community meetings in March 2025 and the process for submitting formal objections or comments to SLR Consulting by 3 April 2025.

• Main Street 1549 (Pty) Ltd is proposing survey activities in License Blocks 9 and 11B/12B in the Outeniqua Basin, located between Mossel Bay and Gqeberha, covering 8,620 km2 of ocean with depths ranging from 100m to 2,200m.
• The proposed survey activities include bathymetry and sonar mapping to identify seabed features, the collection of seabed samples, the use of Remote Operated Vehicles (ROVs) for imagery, and metocean surveys to measure wind, waves, and water temperature.
• The project may negatively impact marine life, specifically fish, birds, and cetaceans such as sperm whales, humpback whales, and Southern right whales, by disrupting breeding grounds and migration paths for species like tuna and billfish.
• Local economic activities, including commercial and subsistence fishing, tourism in the Garden Route, and cargo ship maintenance in regional ports, could be disrupted if marine life and operations are affected.
• The surveys may cause underwater noise pollution and water contamination from the discharge of oily water, cleaned bilge water, and engine water, as well as air pollution from vessel emissions of sulphur oxide, nitrogen oxide, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide.
• The project may impact the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of local communities, specifically regarding 'living waters' which are believed to play a role in spiritual health and ancestral connection.

APA

Natural Justice (2025). INTO OKUMELE UYAZI. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Xhosa_MainStreet-Blocks911B12_community-pamphlet-FINAL.pdf

Chicago

Natural Justice. INTO OKUMELE UYAZI. 2025. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Xhosa_MainStreet-Blocks911B12_community-pamphlet-FINAL.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Natural Justice |title=INTO OKUMELE UYAZI |date=March 2025 |url=https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Xhosa_MainStreet-Blocks911B12_community-pamphlet-FINAL.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{naturaljustice2025into, author = {{Natural Justice}}, title = {{INTO OKUMELE UYAZI}}, institution = {Natural Justice}, year = {2025}, month = mar, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Xhosa_MainStreet-Blocks911B12_community-pamphlet-FINAL.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }