WILDLIFE THREAT: ‘No chance’: Road rubble allegedly buries Gqeberha riverside kingfisher nests
A conservationist has opened a criminal case alleging tonnes of road-building waste were dumped beside the Baakens River, burying kingfisher nests and potentially killing eggs and chicks during breeding season.
Conservationist Arnold Slabbert has reported a criminal case alleging that tonnes of road-building waste were dumped beside the Baakens River in Gqeberha, burying kingfisher nests and potentially killing eggs and chicks during breeding season. The waste, including large quantities of old tar and other road-building material, was dumped on the bank of the river near South Union Street.
Slabbert alleged that the contravention of environmental, waste, and animal-protection laws endangered an already fragile water body. The contractor, working on roadworks on South Union Street, should have disposed of the material at an authorized facility. Kingfishers were breeding along the riverbank, and their nesting sites were covered by the waste.
If found guilty, the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality could face multimillion-rand fines for violating environmental laws.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
