As the world marked World Wetlands Day 2022 yesterday (February 2), South Africa celebrated the declaration of its 28th wetland of international importance.
The Berg Estuary in the Western Cape was declared a Ramsar Site under the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance.
“The declaration of South Africa’s 28th Ramsar site is an indication of the importance of conserving and protecting these unique environments that are considered super ecosystems because of their contribution to the provision of water and because they provide habitats to a large variety of migratory birds, especially water birds,” said the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Barbara Creecy.
The Berg Estuary, which is one of 290 estuaries in South Africa, is the second wetland of international importance to be declared in the country in two years. In 2021, the Ingula Nature Reserve in the northern Drakensberg was declared the country’s 27th Ramsar Site.
About the estuary
Situated at Velddrif, close to St Helena Bay where the Berg River flows into the sea, this estuary spans an area of 1 162 ha. The West Coast fishing village is situated in the Bergrivier Local Municipality.
The Berg River forms one of only four estuaries on the West Coast of southern Africa that always have water. This is in addition to the main estuarine channel, which is a floodplain encompassing five major wetland types of importance to 250 species of waterbirds. These are ephemeral pans, commercial saltpans, riparian marshes, saltmarshes (which are the third-largest on the Cape coast) and intertidal mudflats.
Although estuaries comprise less than 2% of South Africa’s territory, these highly productive ecosystems are focal points for development, tourism and recreation, as well as being important for supporting biodiversity, livelihoods and marine fisheries.
The Berg Estuary, in particular, contributes about 60% of the estuarine habitat on the West Coast and is therefore extremely important in terms of the biodiversity, cultural and economic activities that it supports.
