The (accidentally) responsible tourist

It doesn't only take eco-warriors to protect the environment. Karoline Hanks ventures to one of Southern Africa's most protected, but sadly not unspoilt beaches, and explains how even holidaymakers can make a difference.

©Ingrid Taylar

By Karoline Hanks

It is difficult venturing to wild places - locally and abroad - when one is tuned into some of the planet’s more pressing environmental ills. I sometimes wish I could just go on holiday and set my “green-heat-seeking goggles” aside. I have tried, but I just cannot do it.

By travelling to one of the more remote corners of South Africa’s coastline earlier this year, I had thought it would be a chance to get away from many, if not all of humanity’s bruising habits. Astoundingly, I was wrong.

From the north-eastern border with Mozambique down to just south of the town of St Lucia, lies the most splendid 220km stretch of wild and relatively undeveloped coastline. It is soul food at its delicious best.

One gets to gobble up great swathes of crunchy sand, the indigenous coastal dune forest heaving with cicadas and birdsong, and ghost crabs scuttling frenetically in the frothing, churning warm Indian Ocean. It is also where one gets the chance to get eye to eye with one of the most intriguing, ancient and endangered marine reptiles – given that this is the southernmost nesting ground for both the loggerhead and leatherback turtles.

My boyfriend and I have stayed at the high end Thonga Beach Lodge once before in mid-January – ideal nesting season. We have come up with a brilliant formula for ensuring encounters with both turtle species - we set our alarm for 3am and head off up the beach at a steady jog, with muted torchlight. This year we were not disappointed. We had up to five spectacular pre-dawn encounters with laying loggerheads and two with leatherbacks. These experiences make for another tale altogether…

A nesting leatherback turtle. ©Karoline Hanks

During the day, we hiked the beaches flat (in both directions) and went birding in the forests near Wilderness Safari’s Rocktail Bay Lodge. It didn’t take too long for my heat-seeking goggles to come out though, and, on my first walk, I was stooping down to pick up small bits of plastic. My attention was drawn to plastic bottle tops in particular – and I made it my mission to collect as many as possible in the four full days we were there. It became addictive, and I was unable to walk past a bottle top without gathering it up and shoveling it into my pack. In the end, I shook close on 600 sandy bottle tops out of my backpack.

What was perhaps more alarming were the miniscule chips and particles of colourful plastic – bigger items that had become brittle and broken down over the years – becoming one with the sand and shells. In an average “harvest” – if one were not to be fixated with bottle tops – it would not be impossible to find cigarette lighters, drinking straws, shoes, plastic crates, a filing cabinet, fishing rope, nets and plastic bottles with Chinese writing thereon.

There are no rivers that drain into the sea here and very few communities living close to the coast, so whatever one does find strewn across the sand is almost certainly from the ocean.

plastic is dangerous to turtles and whales who mistake it for jellyfish, a tasty part of their diet

iSimangaliso’s CEO Andrew Zaloumis says that “it’s an ugly reality that this coastal strip has become a huge repository for much of the world’s garbage. Last year a humpback whale washed up dead at iSimangaliso’s Cape Vidal. It was found to have plastic in its jaw which may have played a role in its demise.”

This plastic is not only unsightly, but is also particularly dangerous to turtles and whales who mistake it for jellyfish, a tasty part of their diet.

“Protecting and cleaning up our sea and beaches is not only about improving visitor experience, it is also vital for species conservation,” explains Zaloumis.

Turtle expert, George Hughes has a profound knowledge and understanding of this particular coastline, having spent decades researching these animals in the area and abroad. He says that plastic waste is a massive threat to turtles globally. Hatchlings tend to ingest anything that looks edible (the small plastic pellets for example) and adults have also been known to ingest large sheets of plastic and plastic bags. These block the gut and lead to tragic fatalities. Hughes has come across many examples of plastic ingestion in his five decades working with turtles. In one particularly severe case, he came across an adult leatherback which had been caught in the shark nets off the KZN coast. It died shortly after being brought to the research institute where he was based at the time. When dissected, Hughes’s team unraveled a solid 3x4 metre sheet of heavy plastic.

Jelly fish or plastic bag? Its hard for jelly fish eating turtles to tell the difference. ©Ben Mierement

Plastics have become an indispensable part of daily life. Sadly, its versatility is having serious economic and environmental consequences. Plastic’s linear value chain comes with significant environmental drawbacks.

As a guest at Thonga Beach Lodge, I was alarmed to see that they were dishing out plastic straws at the bar as well as water in plastic bottles upon arrival at the pick-up point, on drives and activities and on departure. This seemed completely incongruous, given the lodge’s positioning and the fact that I had been finding so much plastic washed up on the beach.

I challenged management on the matter while I was there. I explained to them that in my home town of Noordhoek, Cape Town, a group of us (under the banner of the Turning the Tide campaign) have managed to persuade many of the eating establishments to ditch plastic straws and replace them with paper straws. This has been done with very little effort. Many are now also moving away from polystyrene take-away packaging. Plastic drinking straws are essentially the poster child for the single-use plastic scourge – the obvious “low-hanging fruit”.

While disposable cutlery, plastic shopping bags, and ear bud sticks are the obvious baddies in this context, by getting people talking about straws and their impact on the marine environment, the seed is sown. It generates much-needed awareness around the bigger issue of plastic pollution and how each one of us can help reduce our footprint.

Part of Isibindi Africa Lodges' new "Trash, Leave Tracks” initiative at Rhino Ridge Lodge. ©Isibindi Africa Lodges

Regular beach cleanups are now part of Isibindi Africa Lodges' new "Trash, Leave Tracks” initiative. ©Isibindi Africa Lodges

For me, it is all about connecting the dots.

So it was with delight that I heard from the Operations Manager at Thonga quite recently that they have launched a “Take Trash, Leave Tracks” initiative, with a view to having this rolled out at all their other Isibindi lodges. Signs are being made to inform guests that there will no longer be plastic straws (only paper for those who insist), and getting paper-wrapped toothpicks as well instead of plastic wrapped toothpicks. There is also a commitment to move to aluminum water bottles to present to guests on arrival at the lodges with water refill stations rather than using plastic 500ml bottles.

This experience proved to me that it is possible to initiate change – if one rattles cages and shouts loudly enough – even when on holiday, and sporting large green specs.

AMKA NA MAGAZETI NA TUMBUSI BLOG

Ni asubuhi nyingine tena nakukutanisha na habari kubwa kwenye Magazeti ya Tanzania leo October 3 2017 kuanzia ya Udaku, Michezo na Hardnews. 

After Deadly Mass Shooting, White House Says It’s ‘Premature’ To Discuss Guns

Following the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, President Donald Trump on Monday offered his sympathy to the victims, but made no mention of America’s pervasive gun violence either in his tweets or his prepared statement from the White House.

More than 50 were dead and hundreds more injured after Stephen Paddock, 64, began shooting at the thousands of attendees of the Route 91 Harvest Festival from the 32nd floor of a nearby hotel in Las Vegas. When police breached his room at the Mandalay Bay hotel, they said they found Paddock dead of an apparent self-inflicted wound. He had at least 10 guns, they added.

Some hours after his tweet Monday morning, Trump read prepared remarks from the White House, called the shooting “an act of pure evil” and commended first responders and local officials.

Not mentioned in statements from Trump and the White House: the issue of guns.

When asked at Monday’s White House press briefing whether Trump would consider gun reforms in response to the shooting, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said it was not appropriate to discuss the matter.

“There’s a time and place for a political debate, but now is the time to unite as a country,” Sanders said, before offering her “thoughts and prayers.”

Tumbusi hatarini kupotea katika hifadhi za Ruaha na Katavi ikiwa juhudi za makusudi za kiuhifadhi hazitachukuliwa

Wakazi wa Kijiji cha Tungamalenga wilayani Iringa, mkoani Iringa kutoka katika jamii kimaasai wakitumbwiza wakati wa maadhimisho ya Siku ya Kimataifa ya Ufuatiliaji wa Tumbusi ndege wala mizoga juzi. (Picha na Friday Simbaya)

Tumbusi ndege wala mizoga wapo kwenye hatari kubwa kutoweka kwa vile idadi yao kubwa wamekuwa wakiuawa kwa sumu na baadhi ya wanavijiji kwa mujibu tafiti zilizofanyika na zinazoendelea kufanyika Afrika mashariki na Afrika kwa ujumla.

Kwa mujibu mratibu msaidizi masuala ya ikolojia kutoka shirika lisilo la kiserikali linalo husika na uhifadhi wa wanayampori (WCS) Iringa Msafiri Mgumba alisema hayo jana katika Siku ya Kimataifa ya Uelimishaji jamii kuhusu Tumbusi, Utafiti unaoendelea kufanyika kwenye eneo la kiikolojia la Ruaha-Katavi unaonesha kuwa changamoto hiyo ipo pia na hifadhi za Taifa za Ruaha na Katavi na Mapori ya Akiba yanayozunguka hifadhi hizo ni eneo muhimu la kiikolojia kwenye uhifadhi wa ndege aina ya Tumbusi..

Hii ni kulingana na utafiti wanaofanya kwa kushirikiana na wataalam kutoka North Carolina Zoo ya Marekani, Hifadhi za Taifa za Tanzania (TANAPA) na Mamlaka ya Usimamizi wa Wanyamapori Tanzania (TAWA).

Hata hivyo, Tanzania inaadhimisha Siku ya Kimataifa ya Uelimishaji wa tumbusi kwa mara ya kwanza katika historia ya nchi na yaliofanyika katika Kijiji cha Tungamalenga karibu na hifadhi ya Ruaha katika wilaya ya Iringa, mkoa wa Iringa.

Alisema kupitia mpango wa mazingira ya Ruaha-katavi ni muhimu sana katika uhifadhi wa aina 5 za tumbusi ambazo ziko kwenye hatari kubwa ya kutoweka ikiwa juhudi za kiuhifadhi hazitafanyika ikiwa na pamoja na kutoa elimu. Aina hizo za Tumbusi ni kama vile Kichwa Cheupe, Ruppell’s, Mgongo Mweupe, Kichwa Kikubwa na Kapu chini. Aina mbili zipo kwenye hatari ya kupotea lakini siyo hatari kubwa mathalani Tumbusi kichwa kikubwa

Msafiri alisema kuwa katika tafiti za hivi karibuni zinaonyesha kuwa sumu ni tishio kubwa kwa idadi ya ndege wala mizoga hasa katika kwenye maeneo ya uhifadhi wa kijamii/Asasi kama vile Matumizi Bora ya Malihai Tarafa za Idodi na Pawaga (MBOMIPA) na maeneo ya vijiji kuzunguka Hifadhi ya Taifa ya Ruaha (RUNAPA).

Alisema kutokana na uchungaji mifugo mbovu ulipelekea ng’ombe alisahaulika machungani na kupelekea simba kuua, kula na kubakiza. Baadhi ya wafugaji wasiotambua umuhimu wa uhifadhi wa wanyamapori waliweka sumu kwenye mabaki ya mzoga wa ng'ombe alieuwawa na ili kumuuwa simba huyo lakini kwa bahati mbaya kundi la tumbusi walienda kula mzoga huo nakufa, hii ni kutokana kuwa tumbusi anauwezo wa kuona mbali akiwa angani hadi mita 1000 kwa mujibu wa utafiti uliofanyika

Kwa mujibu wa WCS, tumbusi 56 na tai wa kijivu mmoja na ndege wengine aina ya pungu 3 na wanyamapori wengine wanaonyonyesha wawili waliuawa mwezi Mei 2016 kutokana na sumu kwenye eneo la jumuia la MBOMIPA karibu na kijiji cha Tungamalenga kutokana na matumizi mabaya ya sumu kwa baadhi ya wanakijiji wa Tungamalenga katika wilaya ya Iringa, mkoa wa Iringa.

WCS, TANAPA na TAWA wameanzisha kampeni kabambe ya kuelimisha jamii zinazozunguka maeneo ya Uhifadhi kuhusu ndege hao aina ya tumbusi wanaotegemea mizoga kwa kiasi kikubwa kwa sababu baadhi ya wanavijiji hawajui umuhimu wa ndege na sheria za uhifadhi. Kampeni hii inajulikana kama ‘SAIDIA KULINDA TUMBUSI’ kwa manufaa ya wanyamapori, utalii, mazingira na uchumi wa jamii yenyewe na taifa kwa ujumla..

Mwaka 2015 hadi sasa, WCS na North Carolina Zoo wamefanikiwa kuwavisha tumbusi 10 vifaa maalum mgongoni, ili kupata taarifa za mtawanyiko wao, wapi wanaenda na wanapata changamoto zipi, na je wanakwenda kwenye hifadhi nyingine au la. Moja ya matokeo ni kuwa ndege wenye vifaa wameweza kwenda Katavi na Mapori ya akiba mengine karibu na za Katavi na Ruaha na kurudi Ruaha. Tumbusi mmoja ameweza Kutoka Ruaha na kuvuka mpaka wa Tanzania na kwenda hadi Afrika ya kusini. .Tumbusi watatu wa awali waliokuwa wamefungwa vifaa hivyo awali walikufa na inasadikika kuwa ni kutokana na sumu.

Kwa upande wake, Mkuu wa Wilaya ya Iringa Richard Kasesela aliyekuwa mgeni wa heshima wakati wa Siku ya Kimataifa ya Uelimishaji jamii kuhusu Tumbusi alisema kuwa kuongeza ufahamu kati ya wanakijiji ni mstari wa kwanza wa ulinzi dhidi ya kupungua kwa idadi kutokana na sumu.

Aliwahimiza wanakijiji wasiue ndege hao kwa sababu ni muhimu kwa ajili ya uhifadhi wa mazingira, wanyamapori, watu, utalii na uchumi. 

Kasesela alisema tumbusi hula wanyama waliokufa kwa haraka na kwa ufanisi.

Alisema kuwa matumbo yao yana tindikali yenye uwezo wa kumeng’enya na kuua kabisa vimelea vya ugonjwa kama kimeta, kufua kikuu na kichaa cha mbwa bila wao kudhurika. 

Alisema kuwa uwekaji wa sumu ni kinyume cha sheria kwa mujibu wa sheria ya uhifadhi wa wanayamapori Tanzania ya mwaka 2009 na sheria ya mamlaka ya Usimamizi wa wanyamapori Tanzania 2013 na kuna adhabu kali kwa yeyote aakayeshikwa akitumia sumu kwa lengo la kuua wanyamapori