14 Saint Helena Bay Seaweed Mariculture Initiative South Africa IOI Operational Centre Involved: IOI-Southern Africa, located at the University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa Project Coordinators: Jocelyn Collins and Peter Jordaan S U M M A R Y The project was located in Saint Helena Bay, Western Cape Province, South Africa. It began as a community-based Gracilaria farm, which started in 1995 as a Master of Science degree (botany) project at the University of the Western Cape. In 1997, IOI-Southern Africa presented a 10-day course, Seaweed Mariculture for Community Development, to the members of the historically disadvantaged community in Saint Helena Bay. The course led to an interest group, the Community Seaweed Initiative, whose members started a Gracilaria farm in Saint Helena Bay. Initial funding was obtained from the Department of Trade and Industry and the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ). In conjunction with the community group, IOI-Southern Africa applied for and was granted a seawater lease in Saint Helena Bay and developed a business plan, funding proposals and training programmes. 139
140 VOLUME 16: EXAMPLES OF SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCES IN COASTAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT The key partners in the project were the community of Saint Helena, the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (Marine and Coastal Management branch), the Department of Trade and Industry, GTZ, the University of Stellenbosch, the University of the Western Cape, and IOI-Southern Africa. The achievements included the following: Maribus Industries (Pty) Ltd., a community-owned company, was established and registered. Currently, it has 18 shareholders of whom 17 are previously disadvantaged individuals. (The term previously disadvantaged individual refers to a person who was discriminated against during the apartheid regime.) Women account for 67 per cent of the leadership. A 15-year seawater lease was granted to Maribus Industries (Pty) Ltd. Scientific research was completed. Shareholders visited a working Gracilaria farm in Lüderitz, Namibia, in December 2002. Preliminary international market research was done and a potential international seaweed buyer was identified. A kelp concession was granted and the company began collecting and selling kelp chips. A workshop was held on raft-building. The project, which was implemented during the period from 2001 to 2003, had a budget of about $72,600. B A C K G R O U N D A N D J U S T I F I C AT I O N For many generations, the west coast region of the Western Cape (the Saldanha Bay/Vredenburg and Saint Helena Bay areas) had been underdeveloped. In the mid-1970s, the apartheid government brought in some politically strategic industrial developments, including the Sishen-Saldanha iron ore facility, the Strategic Fuel Fund crude oil terminal and bunkers, and the commandeering of the Dongkergat peninsula by the South African Defence Force (SADF) Special Forces. In the mid-1990s, there was another wave of controversial industrial developments such as Namaqua Sands and Saldanha Steel. These developments resulted in limited real benefit to the community and attracted many thousands of new residents (job seekers and refugees), who further strained the very limited resources. Thus, owing to the transformation of the Saldanha region into an industrial region, the traditional livelihood of the original residents of Saldanha Bay was threatened and the population was economically and socially stressed. While South Africa, the west coast included, abounded with natural resources, many of these resources did not benefit the country and/or remained inaccessible to
Saint Helena Bay Seaweed Mariculture Initiative South Africa 141 communities in the area. This was especially true of the poor and disadvantaged communities of the west coast region. The fishing industry was largely based on this coast, yet the traditional communities had historically been denied access to these resources and lacked the capacity to benefit adequately from them. Poverty abounded in this region despite the bounty of marine resources and massive corporate investments. Nevertheless, these communities possessed invaluable experience and traditional livelihoods that could be developed for entrepreneurial benefit. C H A L L E N G E S The challenges addressed were the following: continuing poverty among the disadvantaged communities in spite of local industrial development; and inability of the poorer communities to exploit the marine resources. O B J E C T I V E S The primary objective of this project was to enable historically disadvantaged community members to gain economic benefits from marine resources in their environment. With a decline in fish stocks, communities needed to find alternative livelihood options based on marine resources in their area. The pilot Gracilaria farm aimed to use this resource to provide a means of sustainable livelihood and to alleviate poverty. The project was also undertaken to add value to a natural resource and could become a model for community mariculture projects, which are lacking in South Africa. The specific objectives were as follows: the sustainable use and beneficiation of a South African marine resource to benefit a previously disadvantaged and impoverished coastal community; establishment of a pilot Gracilaria farm in Saint Helena Bay by community-based Maribus Industries (Pty) Ltd.; identification of skill requirements of members of Maribus Industries (Pty) Ltd. and the designing of a detailed skills development and transfer programme; conduct of research by IOI- Southern Africa/University of the Western Cape, which would also facilitate the training of community members, students and staff in related biological, social and economic aspects; establishment of a market for farmed Gracilaria; and provision of a model for sustainable community development in the coastal zone. P R O J E C T P L A N N I N G The project activities were planned in full consultation with the community.
142 VOLUME 16: EXAMPLES OF SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCES IN COASTAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT P R O J E C T A C T I V I T I E S The main project activities were training, market research and workshops on raftbuilding/-floating. T R A I N I N G Community members attended a course sponsored by IOI-Southern Africa during which they received training in company law and the rights and duties of shareholders in companies. This was in addition to a previous training course given by IOI-Southern Africa in seaweed mariculture and associated business issues. Ten community members travelled to Lüderitz, Namibia, to visit Taurus Atlantic Seaweeds, which operates a Gracilaria farm in Lüderitz. Community members spent one and a half days with the farm s general and production managers. They discussed product development and marketing, especially as regards international markets and the potential for production of value-added products for niche or specialist markets. They reviewed in detail farm planning and the particulars of raft construction Seaweed mariculture. and maintenance, seeding and harvesting and treatment of Gracilaria, seaweed farm production systems, and issues relating to farm costs and seaweed yields. They also toured the Gracilaria processing plant. Details gleaned from this visit were used to update certain aspects of the business plan, and this was particularly valuable in planning farm design and starting operations. It must be stressed that much of the knowledge regarding running a commercial seaweed mariculture operation was not available except though avenues such as these. Taurus Atlantic Seaweeds expressed interest in purchasing seaweed produced by Maribus Industries (Pty) Ltd. and was enthusiastic about further cooperation. M A R K E T R E S E A R C H IOI-Southern Africa funded a trip to Europe in December 2002 by two directors of Maribus Industries (Pty) Ltd. in order to meet with seaweed buyers there and assess the potential for foreign investment in Maribus Industries (Pty) Ltd. as well as for marketing seaweed products directly to Europe. They met with Dr. Werner Ekau (Centre for Tropical Marine Ecology) and GTZ representatives and through them were introduced to an algal grower. In France, they met with senior representatives of Degussa Texturant Systems (a subsidiary of Degussa AG). Degussa expressed interest in the samples of Maribus Industries (Pty) Ltd. and discussed potential business arrangements.
Saint Helena Bay Seaweed Mariculture Initiative South Africa 143 R A F T - B U I L D I N G / - F L O AT I N G W O R K S H O P S The raft-building workshop in Saint Helena Bay was conducted in June 2004. The staff of Marine and Coastal Management and Seaweed Unit showed Maribus shareholders how to build a seaweed raft and stock it with Gracilaria. One raft was constructed during the workshop. Seaweed Unit staff also raised four disused raft anchors from Saldanha Bay and donated those to Maribus. Raftbuilding materials were also donated. O T H E R IOI-Southern Africa designed a corporate identity for Maribus Industries (Pty) Ltd. and financed the printing of letterheads, stationery and business cards for two of the directors. It also donated a computer to Maribus Industries (Pty) Ltd. to facilitate more effective office and business management. A C H I E V E M E N T S A N D O U T C O M E S The main project outcomes were as follows: Maribus Industries (Pty) Ltd., a community-owned company, was established and registered. A 10- to 20-hectare commercial Gracilaria farm was set up in Saint Helena Bay. Training was given to at least two farmers per hectare (thus a minimum of 20 trained farmers) as well as to the managing director to run the enterprise. An output of about 30 dry tonnes of seaweed per hectare was obtained. There was a substantial increase in the value of the seaweed industry and its potential to provide economic opportunities in South Africa. The project contributed to the development of the Gracilaria industry in Southern Africa by securing a stable product supply. Shareholders and participating members of the Saint Helena Bay community benefited through increased job opportunities and income-generation. The participants from the Saint Helena Bay community acquired skills that would be sustained irrespective of the success or failure of the project. Training in raft-building was conducted. Market studies were carried out nationally and internationally. Master of Science degree research projects were initiated at the University of the Western Cape to assess the obstacles and opportunities in mariculture for improving livelihood prospects for poor coastal communities as well as the socio-economic impact of this project. An unintended outcome was the acquisition of a kelp harvesting concession leading to the start of kelp harvesting operations.
144 VOLUME 16: EXAMPLES OF SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCES IN COASTAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT M O N I T O R I N G A N D E V A L U AT I O N Monitoring and evaluation were carried out in accordance with agreed upon objectives, goals, steps and measuring parameters. Both IOI-Southern Africa and Maribus Industries (Pty) Ltd. were responsible for monitoring and evaluation. Since Maribus Industries (Pty) Ltd. is a private company, an auditor was employed. IOI-Southern Africa prepared financial reports on the funding. P A R T N E R S H I P S The partners in the project and their roles are described in the following table. Organization IOI-Southern Africa Maribus Industries (Pty) Ltd. South Africa Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Marine and Coastal Management branch GTZ/Centre for Tropical Marine Ecology Role in the Project Project management Registered community business venture Funder Funder I N N O V AT I O N S At the time that this project was under way, the practices of having the community as shareholders in a company and then training these shareholders to skipper the boats, acquire business skills, etc., were innovative processes. D I F F I C U LT I E S Difficulties encountered were as follows: the exceptionally long delay in having the application for a seawater lease processed and the accompanying sense of disappointment engendered in project members; delays in obtaining a permit for raft-based seaweed mariculture, which constrained the construction of a pilot raft; and registering a company, which proved to have a negative impact on the prospects of the project since it was considered as a for-profit initiative and not a community one. University of Stellenbosch, Faculty of Agricultural Economics Training F U T U R E P L A N S The project was to move to pilot-scale operations on the Marine and Coastal Management experimental raft in October 2003. At the same time, community members were to receive continued training in
Saint Helena Bay Seaweed Mariculture Initiative South Africa 145 business and practical aspects of seaweed farming. The Steering Group hoped to continue to advise on farming practices and assist in locating potential partners and investors. As Maribus Industries (Pty) Ltd. had obtained a permit to harvest kelp, it would be able to generate income from kelp harvesting while growing Gracilaria first on the Marine and Coastal Management raft and later, once the pilot rafts of Maribus Industries (Pty) Ltd. had been constructed, on their own rafts. Contacts Jocelyn Collins IOI-Southern Africa University of the Western Cape Modderdam Rd. Bellville Cape Town South Africa Tel.: +27 21 959 2594 Peter Jordaan Maribus Industries (Pty) Ltd. Tel.: +27 72 141 0066
146 VOLUME 16: EXAMPLES OF SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCES IN COASTAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT