Soetendalsvlei. Picture: Jean Tresfon
February 2 is World Wetlands Day and with it comes some good news for a change. The Agulhas National Park will be expanded to include a significant body of water known as Soetendalsvlei, an important wetland.
Through a generous donation, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) took ownership of the Vissersdrift property for incorporation into the Agulhas National Park last year. This move has secured 90% of the Soetendalsvlei wetland and added a further 2 345 hectares to the park.
The Agulhas National Park is located in the southern Overberg region of the Western Cape, about 200 kilometres southeast of Cape Town.
The vlei gets its name from the Zoetendaal, a Dutch ship that was wrecked off the nearby coast in 1673 en route from Jakarta. Those survivors who were able to make it to shore, walked inland and found fresh water to keep them alive at the vlei.
They were so thankful that they named it after their ship. They were helped by a local Khoikhoi chief and cattle trader to get back to Cape Town.
According to the WWF, Soetendalsvlei, Africa’s southernmost freshwater lake, plays a critical role in recharging groundwater and supplying fresh water for local agriculture. It drains into the Heuningnes River which connects with the sea at De Mond Nature Reserve between Struisbaai and Arniston. Here, the Heuningnes estuary provides both a haven for migrating birds and breeding fish.
By turning this area over to conservation and reducing alien plant infestation and other pressures, the hope is that Soetendalsvlei’s ecological functions will be safeguarded for the future – in line with this year’s World Wetland Day theme of restoration.
Wetlands internationally are among the most threatened ecosystems and are often overlooked and degraded.
Dr Luthando Dziba, SANParks Managing Executive: Conservation Services, said “a benefit of this acquisition is that it also protects inland salt pans, many of which are under threat in the Western Cape from urban development, mining and agriculture, along with rare veld types such as the Critically Endangered Central Rûens Shale Renosterveld, Vulnerable Agulhas Sand Fynbos and Limestone Fynbos face similar threats.”
Soetendalsvlei is designated both a Critical Biodiversity Area and an Important Bird Area, supporting over 60 water bird species including several birds of (conservation) concern such as the Damara tern, great white pelican and two flamingo species, along with over 21 000 migrant and resident birds that are recorded here annually.
Dr Morné du Plessis, CEO of WWF South Africa, said, “In the conservation world where we are often up against it, it’s important that we take a moment to celebrate our successes – and the acquisition of this critically important wetland area for incorporation into Africa’s southernmost national park is one such milestone.”
Dr Dziba concluded that “Estuaries and wetlands are the most threatened and least protected ecosystems in South Africa. The inclusion of this area into the Agulhas National Park not only expands the park but also contributes towards the protection of a critical wetland ecosystem for the Overberg region and its people.”
“It is through productive partnerships such as this that we can achieve great things as we strive towards meeting the ambitious goals in the new Global Biodiversity Framework agreed in Montreal recently. On behalf of SANParks, I wish to express our sincere thanks to WWF for their support in making this dream a reality,” Dziba said.
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