Case Decision - 199816

The MHIA assessed the potential impacts to palaeontological, prehistoric archaeological resources, and maritime archaeological resources. The MHIA adheres to SAHRA’s minimum standards for HIAs and concludes with there being a very low-to-no-impact to heritage resources as there are already mitigation measures in place to avoid known sensitive heritage areas, such as the Namaqua Fossil Forest. The MHIA includes several other recommended mitigation measures:

The Environmental Management Program (EMPr) should include provisions for the collection of representative examples of the fossils that occur;
“Run of mine” material should be monitored for fossils as part of the normal sampling and mining process;
Potential fossil material should be collected for later identification and evaluation and the company must apply to SAHRA for a general permit to destroy, damage, excavate, disturbed, and collect fossils in line with section 38(4) of the NHRA;
A few small bulk samples of shells are occasionally collected to sample the typical assemblage at various points in the sampling/mining area;
The geophysical contractor will flag any anthropogenic seabed anomaly during geophysical data processing and those areas should be excluded from the bulk seabed sampling with at least a 50m buffer around each anomaly. These anomalies should also be reported to SAHRA without delay;
If an undetected wreck is encountered during seabed sampling, that work in the area must cease immediately and SAHRA must be contacted without delay. SAHRA and a suitably qualified maritime archaeologist will then advise on how to proceed after consultations; and
Seismic Chirp data should be made available for archaeological research purposes.

The SAHRA is satisfied with the recommendations to mitigate impacts to heritage resources and notes that these recommendations are accounted for in both EIA report and the accompanying EMPr. As such, as long as these mitigation measures are adhered to, the SAHRA has no objection to the development proceeding. However, it is noted that the company must be in possession of a valid permit from the SAHRA, as described in the recommended mitigation measures, before the seabed sampling activities can occur. The SAHRA looks forward to receiving this permit application and assessing it, but it must be noted that the SAHRA cannot guarantee that this permit application will be successful and recommends that this permit is applied for as soon as possible. 
Please note that all updates and/or changes to the project, supporting documentation, correspondence, reports, or any other work relating to the project must be uploaded to the case on SAHRIS to provide SAHRA with the opportunity to comment. SAHRA does not accept emailed documents or hard-copy documents received via post.