Case Decision - 198481

The South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) would like to thank you for submitting the Background Information Document (BID) for the proposed TGS Seismic Survey Basic Assessment project, located offshore extending from approximately 120km offshore of St Helena Bay to 230km offshore of Hondeklip Bay, off the West Coast of South Africa. 
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. 
As part of the Environmental Authorisation process a Basic Assessment Report must be completed. The BID has identified that there may be impacts to intangible heritage resources and as such has indicated that a heritage assessment will be undertaken as part of the process. 
SAHRA supports the inclusion of a heritage assessment and requests that maritime heritage, most notably the presence of shipwrecks in the survey area, must be addressed in the report. Given the distance from the shore and the depths at which the survey will take place it is unlikely that cultural remains will be discovered. However, as the proposed surveys cover a large area and will be fairly high resolution there may still be some potential for previously unknown shipwreck sites or material to be identified.