World Oceans Day: Minister leads learners aboard South Africa’s polar research ship in Cape Town

Amid the rain and wind in Cape Town on Friday, World Oceans Day was celebrated with Environment Minister Barbara Creecy leading a large group of excited learners aboard South Africa’s polar research vessel, the SA Agulhas II, to learn how it monitors, researches and protects oceans and marine life.

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) planned to host approximately 1 000 learners on June 8 and 9, and 4 000 members of the public who booked free tickets to visit the polar research vessel on the weekend.

“We are excited to once again host public open days on board the SA Agulhas II research vessel. Through initiatives such as these, we hope to inspire more South Africans to take action towards a more sustainable future and play an active role in protecting our oceans.

“Today’s theme for World Oceans Day 2023 is ‘Planet Ocean: Tides are Changing’ and I think the purpose of this theme is to reflect that our oceans are under increasing pressure from competing interest groups – those involved in fishing, mineral exploration, those wanting major conservation of our oceans and also those in ocean transport moving goods around the world, and in our country we have quite a big tourism sector that is linked to the oceans,” Creecy said.

In the face of these competing interests, Creecy said the DFFE has been leading a marine spatial planning exercise to assess the parts of the ocean that need to be conserved, parts suitable for transport pathways, and parts open to exploration.

The DFFE acquired the SA Agulhas II in 2012, since which it has been conducting research in the Southern Ocean and servicing South Africa’s bases on Marion Island, Gough Island and Antarctica as well as resupplying South African research stations in the Antarctic.

Through this, Creecy said South Africa had made an important contribution to the scientific understanding of the three oceans and their global impact on marine life and the health of the planet. She urged the learners to join in the fight for ocean protection.

Yesterday, five schools from around Cape Town joined the minister for a tour of the ship and to view an array of marine research exhibitions, this was to learn more about the work being done by South Africa’s polar and research vessel.

The schools were Heideveld Secondary School, Luhlaza High School and Usasazo High School in Khayelitsha, Sithembele Matiso High School in Gugulethu, and Pelican Park High School.

Pelican Park High School educator Musfiqa Simon said this Open Day was especially beneficial for their learners, who would be sharing what they learnt with their peers and enabling them with more ocean knowledge for their life science, geography and agriculture subjects.

PPHS head student Musfiqa Simon shared that she was actually afraid of the ocean but was excited to learn more about their intricacies and to overcome that fear with this special activity on World Oceans Day.