UNESCO World Heritage Selection Criteria
The St Lucia site consists of thirteen contiguous protected areas with a total size of 234,566 hectares. The site is the largest estuarine system in Africa and includes the southernmost extension of coral reefs on the continent. The site contains a combination of on-going fluvial, marine and aeolian processes that have resulted in a variety of landforms and ecosystems. Features include wide submarine canyons, sandy beaches, forested dune cordon and a mosaic of wetlands, grasslands, forests, lakes and savanna. The variety of morphology as well as major flood and storm events contribute to ongoing evolutionary processes in the area. Natural phenomena include: shifts from low to hyper-saline states in the Park’s lakes; large numbers of nesting turtles on the beaches; the migration of whales, dolphins and whale-sharks off-shore; and huge numbers of waterfowl including large breeding colonies of pelicans, storks, herons and terns. The Park’s location between sub-tropical and tropical Africa as well as its coastal setting has resulted in exceptional biodiversity including some 521 bird species.
Justification for inscription:
- (vii). To contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance.
- (ix). To be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals.
- (x). To contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation.
A Facebook page is created in the wake of recent tenders for Concessions. Concessions is an evil that should have been avoided. The right to use vest in every body. Access control is needed and Tourism is a good source of income, but the right to control it should not be allowed. It is difficult to develop a business with out ownership, for that reason tour operators was small companies that embarked on a endeavor to guide tourist on these path ways leading through pristine Wetlands.
It is clear that the creator of this FaceBook Page, "St Lucia Quo Vadis", has only his/her personal interest at heart and does not embark on a mission to save The wetlands but purely one to enjoy the benefits of public support. This is evident in his playoff between pre 1999 and post 1999 management structure and dissensions ... St. Lucia Wetland Park has a long history of human interference dating back to 1822 and beyond. Sugar Cane Farming, human settlement and Forestry has scared the system for eternity. Minimum human Interference is not a policy that could work and is merely a lazy mans job description.
Proofing Miss management under current regime would be detrimental to both parties involved. KZN Wildlife and iSimangaliso Wetlands Park. Both want the job, but who is more capable. iSimangaliso Wetland Park Authority has a vision since 1996 of controlling all income derived from this site. KZN Wildlife has a vision to keep it pristine and untouched. Commerce wants development and control. Three parties at logger head and dancing like priced fighters mincing with words.
His/Her onslaught on a draconian management structure is laughable since he accepts and deletes vocalized members to suite the profile of public support. Doing this he/she has destroyed valuable arguments that could influence the public support for the matter and only his/her point of view is forced upon the unsuspecting media that would love to chase this story. May the people have the wisdom to choose wisely and not to feed a dragon purely because of sensationalism.
by Petrus Viviers
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