Case Decision - 198112

The South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) would like to thank you for submitting the Background Information Document (BID) for the proposed Prospecting Rights and Environmental Authorisation to Prospect in the Offshore Sea Concession Area 7C.
As part of the Environmental Authorisation process a Basic Assessment Report and Environmental Management Plan must be completed. SAHRA is pleased to note that the BID has already identified that there may be impacts to Heritage during the proposed project and as such has outlined possible mitigation measures on page 10 of the document. Furthermore, as part of the assessment of the possible impact on heritage, SAHRA requires that a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) must be undertaken as part of the project including an evaluation of  the likelihood for any shipwrecks being present in the proposed prospecting area. The HIA must include a specialist study of maritime and underwater cultural heritage to be undertaken by a suitably qualified Maritime Archaeologist.
In terms of the National Heritage Resources Act, No 25 of 1999 (NHRA), Sections 2 and 35 stipulates that any wreck, being any vessel or aircraft or any part thereof older than 60 years in South Africa's territorial waters or maritime cultural zone is protected and falls under the jurisdiction of SAHRA's Maritime and Underwater Cultural Heritage Unit. These heritage sites or objects may not be disturbed without a permit from the relevant heritage resources authority. 
Should anything of archaeological or paleontological significance be exposed during the proposed project, work must cease immediately and SAHRA must be informed of its discovery without delay. In this event, work may not commence until feedback has been received from SAHRA.