03 October 2014

The Minister of Environmental Affairs, Mrs Edna Molewa, MP,  will launch the annual National Marine Week campaign on Monday the 6th of  October 2014 which will run until the 12th of October 2014 at the East Pier1 V&A Waterfront, Cape Town.  National Marine Week is a campaign that aims to educate all South Africans about the role oceans play in their daily lives.

It is becoming increasingly evident that the true value of the ocean remains mostly unexplored and mysterious with a range of potential opportunities never considered before. This led to this year’s theme for National Marine Week 2014, which is #Oceans 70/20: Decoding Mysteries, Optimising Opportunities.

The department will also host an exhibition at East Pier, V&A Waterfront from 6 to 12 October 2014 to celebrate this week long initiative. The aim of the exhibition is to provide an ocean experience to allow members of the public an opportunity to discover a part of their natural environment.

The exhibition experience will start with a short video clip, introducing the oceans. Guests will be taken through the three exhibition theme spaces where the Southern Oceans, Ocean Opportunities, Protections and Governance of the oceans will be discussed.

Members of the public will be directed to the interactive space, via interesting exhibition elements displaying marine and coastal themes. This area will consist of a display of some of the Department's research instrumentation, educational marine themed games, short video clips describing various aspects of the Department's, a career booth and an online evaluation section.

The public will also have an opportunity to tour SA Agulhas II on 11of October 2014 and 12 October 2014. School learners have been invited to the weeklong celebrations and the exhibitions will be open to the public from Friday the 10th of October 2014 until Sunday the 12 of October 2014.

There will be opportunities for interviews and photographs and members of the media are invited to attend the launch on Monday as follows:

Launch of the National Marine Week 2014

Date: 06 October 2014

Venue: East Pier 1 east pier road V&A Waterfront, Cape Town

Time: 10:00

To RSVP, contact:

Sipho Mawoko
Tel: 021 441 2788
Cell: 073 370 8327
E-mail: smawoko@environment.gov.za

Sivuyile Ngaba
Tel: 021 441 2788
Cell: 071 403 5294
E-mail: sngaba@environment.gov.za

Tshego Letshwiti
Tel: 021 441 2788
Cell: 076 307 9634
E-mail: tletshwiti@environment.gov.za

For media queries, contact:

Zolile Nqayi
Cell: 082 898 6483