Durban - The South African Association for Marine Biological Research (Saambr) thought it would be fitting to start World Oceans Week celebrations by reflecting on highlights in their 71-year history.
On Wednesday, the world will celebrate World Ocean Day, with the 2022 conservation action focus being to protect at least 30% of our blue planet by 2030.
Saambr was registered as a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in 1951 and is the oldest marine NGO in Africa.
Saambr’s Ann Kunz said they achieved their mission and vision through their three operating divisions, the Oceanographic Research Institute (ORI), uShaka Sea World and uShaka Sea World Education.
“One of the ORI highlights that is a period in the late 1960s and early 1970s when the shad ban/closed season was first introduced. After years of research by ORI scientists into the dramatic decline of the shad fish stocks, a shad ban/closed season was introduced to allow the depleting stocks time to recover,” Kunz said.
She said initially, it did not go down too well with local fishermen, but in time the shad closed season and bag limit regulations became well respected, and thankfully South Africa’s shad stocks have significantly recovered.
Not only is Saambr the oldest marine NGO in Africa, but it is also the first marine institution in Africa to start a marine education programme.
Their forefathers knew the importance of marine education and formalised marine education in 1983. For the past 29 years, the uShaka Sea World Education has hosted millions of teachers, pupils, community groups and subsistence fishermen.
“Our work with stranded African penguins began in the early 1960s with the arrival of ORI, a very cute but terribly thin African penguin. At this time, no other organisation in Africa had the expertise or capacity to care for stranded African penguins and so began another first. Since then we’ve rehabilitated and prepared more than 560 stranded African penguins for release,” Kunz said.
“The success of Saambr in the past 71 years has been built on the commitment and dedication of the staff, volunteers and our loyal supporters. We celebrate all these wonderful and passionate people.”
Daily News