Executive Summary

The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) and The Green Trust (TGT) has been involved with the Brenton Blue Butterfly issue since October last year, in close cooperation with the Lepidopterists' Society of Africa, the Wildlife and Environment Society, the Brenton Transitional Local Council, and Cape Nature Conservation.

A moratorium on the sale of stands earmarked for the proposed Brenton Blue Butterfly Reserve was obtained from the Developer until the end of April. Separate agreements were made with the two private stand owners involved. The EWT and the above-mentioned parties have been working in cooperation with the Developer on a joint solution for the interests at Brenton-on-Sea.

In December, the EWT commissioned a multidisciplinary research programme, in cooperation with various experts in their field to produce a comprehensive report on the butterfly and its habitat. The results of this research are now available and form a rigorous scientific basis for decision making.

The Brenton blue Trust was also formed and will manage the proposed reserve on an ongoing basis. Private sector parties have expressed strong interest in covering the limited costs of this process.

Since October, efforts were made in cooperation with the developer to identify suitable pieces of government land for a land swap. One such parcel of land has been identified and was, in fact, suggested by the Developer himself. Further portions of land could be identified with the help of the Department of Public Works.

In principle, therefore, a win-win solution satisfying the material interests of all affected parties is in place. Pro-active Government intervention is needed to implement this solution.

Provincial and National Government were informed last year that they will be approached with a brief towards the beginning of this year. Recent events at Brenton-on-Sea has contributed to the urgency of the current situation.

We believe that:

1. Government can now be provided with the legal and scientific information needed to make a rational decision of the best mechanism to fulfil its obligation and secure the conservation of the Brenton Blue Butterfly and its habitat.
2. In particular, Provincial Government should act in terms of Section 31A of the Environment Conservation Act 73 of 1989 to stay any developments of the stands identified in the scientific report as being part of the Brenton Blue Butterfly and its habitat;
3. Provincial Government should begin a process leading to the implementation of Section 16 of the Environment and Conservation Act to declare the area a protected natural environment;
4. Government should facilitate the land swap, with the relevant landowners, that will make final resolution of this matter possible.