Minister George seeks input on oil bunkering rules to protect African Penguins

24 February 2025

The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment, Dr Dion George, has called for public comments on the proposed regulations for the environmental management of offshore oil bunkering. The proposed regulations are intended to decrease the high risks associated with bunkering on the marine environment, which particularly threatens the critically endangered African Penguin species.

Bunkering, which is the supply of fuel for use by ships including loading and distributing fuel amongst available bunker tanks, has various environmental risks, one of which is oil spills. Oil spills can include fire, explosions, serious harm to sea creatures and humans, and can render seafood harmful for human consumption.

“We have an obligation to protect our coastal and marine environment, and the proposed regulations will help us do that by preventing bunkering operations in highly sensitive areas or, limiting the expansion of bunkering operations in areas where the practice is already underway,” said Dr George. “The draft regulations also aim to reduce noise impacts, encourage wildlife monitoring to mitigate impacts on wildlife, and require that measures be put in place by operators to guard against oil spills, amongst other things.”

Currently, offshore bunkering is authorised to take place in Algoa Bay in the Eastern Cape, with there being a possibility to authorise more bunkering operations in other coastal towns. There have been four oil spills since bunkering operations commenced in Algoa Bay in 2016, which resulted in about 260 critically endangered African Penguins being oiled. African Penguin oiling incidents are a major concern as the oiling compromises eggs and resulted in chicks being abandoned, also affecting the breeding success and the reproductive fitness of the affected penguins.

However, it is not only penguins who are affected negatively, dolphins are also impacted when there are oil spills and as a result, often struggle with ill-health and even death. In fact, the entire marine ecosystem and some coastal economic activities are compromised. There are also issues of noise pollution because of additional vessel traffic as a direct result of bunkering.

Dr George has highlighted that the drafting of the regulations is a step in the right direction and that all South Africans should care enough about the environment to be active citizens by submitting their comments.

INFORMATION ON THE SUBMISSION OF PUBLIC COMMENTS https://shorturl.at/1Jasq

Members of the public are invited to submit written comments, within 30 days from the date of the publication of the notice in the Government Gazette or newspaper advert, whichever date is later, to any of the following addresses:

Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment

Attention: Ms Lona Nondaka
Directorate: Coastal Pollution Management

By hand: 2nd floor, East Pier Building 2, East Pier Road, V and A Waterfront, Cape Town
By email: bunkeringregs@dffe.gov.za

Comments received after the closing date may be disregarded.

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