Quad destruction less, but still too much

ALTHOUGH there was fifty per cent less off-road activity in protected areas at the coast this festive season compared to last year, the cumulative impact still increased by 50 per cent.

‘It’s easy to assume that, because there were, let’s say only 10 000 new tracks this year, compared to the 20 000 last year, that laws are better, and people are more responsible. What we must realise though is that there are 10 000 more tracks existing now than there were last year,’ said Rod Braby, Senior Technical Advisor for the Namibian Coast Conservation and Management Project (Nacoma) during a special meeting at Long Beach on Thursday.
At the meeting, conservationists, tour operators and other stakeholders reviewed the festive season’s impact on the environment.
It was concluded that off-road activity may have been better controlled this time around, but that there are still issues that need attention.
‘It was much better this year because MET [the Ministry of Environment and Tourism] officials were more visible,’ said the Ministry’s Director of Parks, Ben Beytel, at the meeting.
‘I’m sure we’ll get to the point where all Namibians and visitors will have been educated to respect our coast.’
One of the major successes this year was that quad-bike activity on the Long Beach shoreline had completely stopped.
Most of the complaints about off-road activity came from north of Henties Bay. Interim rules allowed people to use off-road vehicles along the Omaruru River, but nothing north of the river mouth.
Due to the distance of some of the campsites from this ‘play area’, quad bikers opted to save time and use their bikes in restricted areas.
It was mentioned at the meeting that, in order to address this problem, a small area would be ‘opened’ for those further north to use off-road vehicles in.
Another setback was the destruction of three endangered Damara Tern eggs by quad bikes and hikers in protected areas. It is apparently the first time in several years that eggs were destroyed by off-road activity.
Meanwhile, there is also the issue of willing ignorance. On the eastern side of the dune belt, along the sensitive gravel plains – also a no-go area for off-roaders, except for authorised tour operators – bikers still raced across the plains. The plains accommodate a variety of reptiles and insects unique to the Namib.
According to the operators, when they confronted the culprits, the bikers apparently did have permits., but did not care to read the regulation.