Cape Town – Cape beachgoers, who often frequent Noordhoek Beach, have to be mindful of the seasonal back shore lagoon.
Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) has announced that kite boarding, also known as kitesurfing, is not an appropriate recreational activity to take place on the Noordhoek Beach back shore lagoon.
The park said that concerns have recently been raised by environmental and recreational user groups concerning the use of Noordhoek Beach’s seasonal back shore lagoon, which forms above the high water mark of the beach area.
Since before the Table Mountain National Park’s establishment in 1998, various high-impact recreational activities have been undertaken in the Park, such as mountain biking, walking with dogs, horse riding and paragliding.
Following rigorous environmental and consultative processes by the Park with Peninsula-wide stakeholder groupings and the public, certain long-established recreational activities are permitted in the Park in terms of an approved Environmental Management Programme (EMP) for the respective activity.
“These EMPs strive to reduce their environmental impact by identifying areas, routes and codes of conduct and to lessen conflict between users.
“In terms of these EMPs, dog walking (only on leads) and horse riding (only on designated routes) are two of the recreational activities permitted around the Noordhoek backshore lagoon,” TMNP said.
“In 2007, the Park was challenged with the arrival of kite boarding as a recreational activity on Noordhoek lagoon. Environmental and other recreational user groups expressed their concerns to SANParks due to the impacts of kite boarding on birdlife and the other recreational users.
“At that stage, SANParks assessed the matter taking into account all considerations and took the decision that kiteboarding was not an appropriate recreational activity to take place on the Noordhoek Beach back shore lagoon.”
TMNP said that this decision was communicated at the time, and signage to this effect was erected at the car park and on the trail to the beach.
However, this “No Kiteboarding” signage has at various times been removed and had to be replaced.
‘’TMNP management has again assessed the situation and reiterates the decision that kiteboarding is not permitted at Noordhoek Lagoon.
“This decision has been carefully considered and is made in the context of SANParks conservation mandate as well as in the interests of all users.”
Noordhoek lagoon is not suitable for kiteboarding for several environmental reasons, TMNP said.
Environmental Impact
The lagoon represents a rare, if not unique, habitat type on the Peninsula. Because it experiences relatively limited human disturbance, it acts as a refuge for roosting birds driven from rocky-shore roosts by high levels of human disturbance.
Fauna
The area is a vital breeding ground for the African Black Oystercatcher, which is a Red Data Book species – a very threatened species.
The horse-riding community has agreed to restrict access here for these reasons. The results have been positive, and to nullify this success by permitting an additional impactful activity such as high-speed kiteboarding would be a retrogressive step.
The lagoon margins also support breeding pairs of White-fronted Plover which, while not threatened, struggle to breed along that coastline due to high levels of urbanisation and human disturbance.
The pan is also a significant commuting zone for Cape Clawless Otters on their way between the sea and the Noordhoek wetlands.
Flora
The dune vegetation, vital for the functioning of the dune ecosystem, is easily disturbed. To permit an additional activity that threatens its health is highly undesirable.
Access & Erosion
If the vegetation is denuded, erosion will set in.
Additionally, in order to access the proposed site, users would use different approach routes. Proper conservation practice channels managed access through sensitive areas to limit the damage.
New access routes will lead other path users off the desired routes, which will have a negative impact on the dune vegetation.
Impact on other Users
The horse-riding community has stated that kite-boarders spook horses.
This places riders in danger of being thrown or horses bolting and endangering other users and horses in danger of injuring themselves. In addition, the lagoon is a popular place for families with young children.
Speeding kiteboards impact on the peace and safety of the area, the birdlife and other users.
Park management must accommodate park users while protecting the natural environment so that it can be managed in a sustainable manner taking into account the enjoyment of future generations and not only current users.
In addition, there is often conflict between the needs of different user groups. Some activities are high impact, and others call for peace and quiet.
It is hoped that, while some in the kite-boarding fraternity may not welcome this ruling, their support can be relied on in the interests of conserving this precious ecosystem.