South Africa: 'No Chance' - Road Rubble Allegedly Buries Gqeberha Riverside Kingfisher Nests
[Daily Maverick] 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 filed a criminal complaint alleging that tonnes of road-building waste were dumped beside the Baakens River in Gqeberha, South Africa. The waste, which included large amounts of tar and other construction materials, allegedly covered kingfisher nesting sites during the breeding season, potentially endangering eggs and chicks.
Slabbert, a wildlife rescue expert, made the allegations at Humewood police station on Friday, stating that environmental, waste, and animal-protection laws had been violated. He expressed disgust at the actions, noting that the tar must be disposed of specially and that the contractors were likely trying to save money by dumping the waste illegally.
The rubble originated from roadworks on South Union Street, carried out by a contractor hired by the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality.
Written by urgent.news from AllAfrica's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
