CALMING THE WAVES: USING LEGISLATION TO PROTECT MARINE LIFE FROM SEISMIC SURVEYS

This policy brief examines the impact of seismic surveys used in oil and gas exploration on marine fauna, specifically within South Africa. It argues that current mitigation guidelines, which are often based on the UK's JNCC standards and developed by the companies conducting the surveys, are insufficient. The author recommends the establishment of an independent regulatory board to create country-specific, science-based legislative frameworks to protect biodiversity and maintain environmental integrity as South Africa expands its ocean economy through Operation Phakisa.

• Seismic surveys produce high-intensity, low-frequency sounds, often using air-gun arrays that release sound waves every 10 to 15 seconds. These pulses can travel up to 4,000km from the source by moving through seabed sediment and re-emerging in the water.
• Anthropogenic sound from seismic surveys affects marine fauna through three primary mechanisms: physical or physiological responses (such as permanent or temporary threshold shifts in hearing), masking of biologically important sounds, and negative behavioural responses.
• In South Africa, the current process for mitigating seismic survey impacts relies on Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) required by the Petroleum Agency of South Africa (PASA). However, the company performing the survey typically draws up the mitigation guidelines, which are generally based on the UK's Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) guidelines.
• South Africa's current exclusion zone (EZ) for seismic surveys is generally 500m, following JNCC guidelines. The author suggests this is unsuitable for protecting vulnerable species and notes that other regions use different standards, such as Australia's 3,000m EZ or Canada's radius based on 160dB re 1µPa.
• The South African government's Operation Phakisa, specifically the Oceans Economy Lab, aims to increase GDP from ZAR 154 billion ($4.27 billion) in 2010 to ZAR 170 billion ($13.43 billion) by 2033. This growth strategy includes increasing productivity in offshore oil and gas, which may increase the risk to the country's diverse marine ecosystem.
• To improve marine protection, the author recommends that South Africa establish an independent and transparent regulatory board to set criteria for EIAs, technical requirements, real-time monitoring, and survey auditing, and to implement its own certified MMO/PAM training course.

APA

PURDON, J. (2018). CALMING THE WAVES: USING LEGISLATION TO PROTECT MARINE LIFE FROM SEISMIC SURVEYS. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Policy-Insights-58.pdf

Chicago

PURDON, JEAN. CALMING THE WAVES: USING LEGISLATION TO PROTECT MARINE LIFE FROM SEISMIC SURVEYS. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2018. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Policy-Insights-58.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=PURDON |first1=JEAN |title=CALMING THE WAVES: USING LEGISLATION TO PROTECT MARINE LIFE FROM SEISMIC SURVEYS |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=June 2018 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Policy-Insights-58.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{purdon2018calming, author = {PURDON, JEAN}, title = {{CALMING THE WAVES: USING LEGISLATION TO PROTECT MARINE LIFE FROM SEISMIC SURVEYS}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2018}, month = jun, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Policy-Insights-58.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }