Controversial Seismic Surveys Set to Disrupt West Coast Ecosystem in January 2024

At the dawn of 2024, the Australian firm Searcher Geodata, headquartered in the UK, is set to commence a seismic survey across an expansive region of South Africa's West Coast. Covering an area over 30,000 square kilometers, the survey zone stretches between St Helena Bay and Hondeklip Bay, a considerable distance from the shoreline, estimated at about 220km offshore. This initiative aims to uncover potential oil and gas reserves beneath the seabed. However, this endeavor has sparked significant concern among environmentalists, local fishing communities, and conservationists, due to the potential harm it may bring to marine ecosystems.

The techniques employed in seismic surveys entail the generation of powerful sonic waves; in this case, continuous blasts at a deafening 255 decibels. By comparison, exposure to sounds over 150 decibels, typical of gunshots or fireworks, can be acutely painful and harmful to humans. The reverberations of these blasts are intended to produce detailed 3D maps of the seafloor's topology and the geological structures below, which are vital for locating hydrocarbon deposits. However, at distances of four kilometers from the source, sound levels are anticipated to remain at a dangerous 160 decibels.

Due to considerable setbacks in the past, including a court-ordered interdict in March 2022 prompted by the advocacy of local fishers and the civic rights group We Are South Africans, Searcher Geodata's plans had been interrupted. The interdict was based on concerns about the detrimental effects the surveys could have on marine life and fishing yields, crucial for the sustenance of small-scale fishing communities. Despite this, the project received a green light on 20 December, after the Department of Minerals and Energy, on 1 November, accepted a renewed application from Environmental Impact Management Services, a freshly appointed environmental assessment practitioner.

The planned operations spanning 127 days, commencing no earlier than January 1st, 2024, are to take place with two support vessels, and involve a survey vessel, Ramform Atlas, towing an extensive network of seismic receivers. The Environmental Basic Assessment Report, mandated for environmental clearance, recognizes the high risk of mortality and harm to various marine species, notably those with swim bladders such as hake and different tuna species, as a result of seismic blasting. Behavioral changes and potential reductions in catch rates are anticipated within the region of impact.

Albeit with the projected regional harm, only the large pelagic longline sector is deemed particularly vulnerable to the sounds, prompting the scheduling of activities to coincide with the early months of the year to mitigate impact—a period marked by lower fishing activity especially in the concerned sector.

Nevertheless, there are measures laid out to diminish the potential harm to marine fauna, including gradual increases in sound intensity, termed a "soft start", allowing creatures to vacate the area. Daytime operations mandate an observer on the vessel who, upon spotting shoaling large pelagic fish within 500 meters, will command a halt to blasting. Furthermore, the presence of large pelagic species or any visible fish mortalities linked to the survey will also prompt a cessation of operations.

The process has not been free from controversy. The lacks of confidence expressed by small-scale fishers, worried about the long-term effects on fishing stocks and consequent pressure on their livelihoods, have been documented in the Heritage Impact Assessment of the Basic Assessment. Despite claims of low impact on fish stocks from scientific studies, anecdotal evidence presented by fishers suggests a negative influence on their catches following seismic activities.

Under the mantle of Green Connection, a prominent environmental and sustainability organization, there has been ardent opposition led by Strategic Lead Liz McDaid. Their appeal following the environmental authorization being granted to Searcher was rejected, thus they are considering taking further legal steps with chances of success currently under review, as time is of the essence.

This dispute underscores the challenge of balancing the search for underwater resources against the sustainability of marine environments and the economic interests of local communities, a narrative that continues to unfold as the commencement of the seismic survey fast approaches.