Science department, offshore oil industry set up joint research forum

12th February 2016

By: Keith Campbell

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

  

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The South African Marine Research and Exploration Forum (Samref) was recently launched by Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor. The forum is a joint initiative of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Offshore Petroleum Association of South Africa (Opasa). The launching occurred with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the DST and Opasa.

The creation of Samref signifies that the B3 element of Operation Phakisa has been successfully started. Operation Phakisa, launched in 2014, is concerned with developing and protecting South Africa’s marine resources and ecosystems. B3 covers using offshore oil and gas exploration activities to support broader research activities.

Samref will encompass members of government and State-owned companies, research agencies, the oil and gas industry and other representatives of the private sector. It is intended to improve voluntary cooperation and data exchange between all the member organisations. Daily management of the forum will be vested in the National Research Foundation (NRF), an agency of the DST.

“Business and government need to work together to increase South Africa’s gross expenditure on research and development from the current 0.7% of gross domestic product (GDP) to 1.5% by 2019,” highlighted Pandor. “While the target is ambitious, we are committed to achieving it.” She pointed out that South Africa’s some 3 000-km-long coastal zone was one of the most diverse and rich marine environments on the planet. It ranged from coral reefs in the Indian Ocean to rich kelp forests in the Atlantic. “It plays a major role in regulating our climate, has tremendous natural biodiversity and supports numerous communities through fishing, tourism and mining,” she added. Off the west coast, the Benguela current supports a large number of fish, while, off the east coast, the Agulhas current supports fewer fish but a greater number of species.

Opasa chairperson Sean Lunn affirmed that both the public and private sectors could contribute to the development of the country’s maritime governance, marine protection and infrastructure. “This is achieved through fostering good relations and partnership programmes, such as those being driven through Samref, and growing the public sector’s research database on the marine and oceanic environment,” he said. “This is a step in the right direction for understanding the offshore environment in which we operate, and provides a research conduit that drives policy and precision in decision-making and strengthens capabilities in effective mitigation strategies, based on the best available science.”

“This is an opportunity for the public and private sectors in South African marine research to work together and use the resources generated by offshore oil and gas exploration,” stated NRF Knowledge Fields Development executive director Dr Andrew Kaniki. “We, as the NRF, are pleased to be the managing agency of this great initiative.”

Samref is intended to enable new cooperative research, which will augment knowledge about the country’s offshore marine environment, including marine ecology and biodiversity, the functioning of the ecosystem and climate change. It should also provide more information about the advantages of renewable energy and help mitigate the conflict between the polices of developing the oil and gas sector and developing a low-carbon economy. It is, furthermore, expected to augment the data- and information-gathering opportunities for the country’s research agencies, leading to better-informed marine ecosystem management.

Oil and gas is one of Operation Phakisa’s four main target sectors. The other three are marine transport and manufacturing, aquaculture, and marine protection services and governance. Successful development of the country’s marine resources could increase the country’s GDP by more than R20-billion over five years.

Edited by Martin Zhuwakinyu
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

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