The current situation

The objective situation of the Brenton Blue Butterfly at the moment is as follows:

The species will definitely go extinct if its habitat at Brenton-on-Sea is not protected to the full extent suggested in the scientific report.

A solution has been developed in cooperation with the developer, which takes into consideration his interests and who would therefore not be motivated to who would, as long as his interests are adequately protected, therefore not be motivated to act against the state.

The proposed solution involves the swop of private against state land and therefore no cost to the state. Additional land could be identified by the Department of Public Works.

Though the developer has agreed to a moratorium on sales until the end of April the butterfly’s habitat is under immediate threat of destruction. The longer Government intervention is delayed the more complex and unmanageable the situation will become.

The EWT, The Green Trust and the newly formed Brenton Blue Trust have endeavoured to develop a rational relationship with the developer and to develop a joint solution to the conflict of interests. It is not possible, though, to implement the solution without Government intervention.

We are aware that underlying and urgent economic issues may have some influence on attitudes toward conservation and development ‘conflicts’. Environmental and tourism interest groups in Knysna, however, would argue that the rationality of the current spate of developments along our coastlines need to be reassessed. Luxury consumption of our natural resources, (holiday houses, and so on) do not necessarily represent the most rational utilisation of that resource and undermines the basis of the ecotourism industry. The opinion is expressed, among others, by various environment and tourism interest groups in Knysna. Concern has also been raised that inappropriate development of the Garden Route will undermine the longer term tourism development of the Eastern Cape Province.