Fishing communities along the west coast of South Africa are once again preparing to go to court. Attempting to stop another seismic survey that appears to have slipped “underneath the radar of the people”. This time an Australian enterprise called Searcher Seismic is conducting the survey.
Details of the Survey
Searcher Seismic scheduled the survey to begin on the 15th of January. And yesterday one of the survey vessels, the BGP Pioneer, was already on route to offshore Cape Town.
According to the Australian company’s environmental management plan, the survey will take place 20 km from shore. And span across the west and south-west coast, covering about 297 089 km². With regards to depth, the survey will extend from 100m to over 4500m in distance. And duration-wise, it could last up to 180 days.
According to We Are South Africans, Searcher Seismic will also be using seismic blasting to map out possible fuel reserves. Similar to the Shell research project.
The Permit Granted by PASA
The Petroleum Agency of South Africa granted the project a Reconnaissance Permit, effective from December 6, 2021. According to PASA’s website, the permit “ allows the holder to undertake only geological, geophysical or photogeological surveys and any remote sensing techniques”. Also, it is valid for one year and not transferable.
Letter of Demand
On 13 January, Legal Resources Centre (LRC) South Africa, alongside We Are South Africans (WASA), sent a letter of demand to not go ahead with the survey. The LRC and WASA addressed the letter to Searcher Seismic as well as to Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe, Director-General of the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy Advocate Thabo Mokoena, Petroleum Agency SA (PASA) and Minister of Forestry, Fisheries And Environment Barbara Creecy.
The lawyers put forward that the Australian seismic survey application had followed an inadequate consultation process. And that they did not obtain environmental authorisation in terms of the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA).
With regards to the consultation process, it looks as though virtually no one knew about the survey until We Are South Africans launched their online petition against it on the vuma.earth website.
PASA and Searcher Seismic’s Argument
First off, PASA stated that at the time they accepted the permit application on 18th May 2021, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations did not require environmental authorisation. Since officials only amended the EIA regulations in July 2021, two months later. And PASA states “the amended regulations do not apply retrospectively”.
To add to this, Searcher claims that they did prepare an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) which was verified by PASA.
This is despite the Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (Sage) stating, “No seismic survey should be conducted in South African waters without a preceding comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report based on the latest science. EMPs should never be considered a valid and legitimate substitute for comprehensive EIA reports.”
Furthermore, Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe added that the 3D seismic survey planned by Searcher is not the same as the blasting. He states that it is more like releasing “compressed air” which “generates sound output directed to the seabed.”
A Final Note
We Are South Africans founder, Gilbert Martin, puts it well. He states ”We’ve never been against the development of any of our natural resources. There are just three very important points: One, consult the people of South Africa. Two, follow due process and provide correct information so that people can make informed decisions, and three, don’t cater to politically connected companies.”