South Africa’s off-shore environmental protection vessel returns after successful patrol

The Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk will on Monday, 11 July 2005 officially welcome back the Sarah Baartman environmental protection vessel from her first-ever month-long trilateral patrol of SADC waters.

The voyage is particularly significant as has been the first time in the history of the SADC region that three countries are cooperating and collaborating in conducting cost-effective and efficient environmental and fisheries surveillance at sea - and with significant results.

The Minister will be joined aboard the vessel by the fisheries inspectors from South Africa, Mozambique and Tanzania who participated in the patrol.

Sarah Baartman is South Africa's first off-shore environmental protection vessel, and has been built as part of an environmental compliance and enforcement fleet. Minister van Schalkwyk officially took delivery of the vessel in January this year.

Date: Monday 11 July 2005
Venue: Durban Harbour
Time: 09:45

Source: www.deat.gov.za