Government has, for the first time, provided international training to officials to equip them with the skills needed to manage the complex global trade in hazardous waste and plastic pollution at sea.
While the government has intensified efforts to curb plastic pollution through stronger waste regulations, Deputy Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Narend Singh, said legislation and policy frameworks alone were not enough and had to be supported by skilled officials.
“Real impact depends on skilled, knowledgeable and committed officials who can translate legal requirements into practical action. It depends on competent authorities correctly administering prior informed consent and other transboundary controls.
“It depends on customs officers and Border Management Authority officials who can identify suspicious shipments, apply appropriate risk management, and facilitate legitimate trade while intercepting illegal waste movements,” the Deputy Minister said on Tuesday.
Singh was addressing the opening session of the training programme in Cape Town, where he highlighted the need for Environmental Management Inspectors to have both legal expertise and technical knowledge to effectively combat hazardous pollution at sea.
According to the recent Custos Viridis operational report, environmental crime generates annual losses estimated between 80 and 230 billion Euros.
The report also points to growing links between waste trafficking, organised crime syndicates, document fraud, illicit financial flows and other forms of transnational crime.
The Deputy Minister said seamless collaboration among regulators, scientists, investigators and prosecutors was critical in combating environmental crime, which is ranked as the world’s fourth-largest organised criminal activity.
“This training programme has been specifically designed to strengthen precisely these capabilities. Through its combination of technical sessions, practical exercises and international perspectives, it will equip participants with the knowledge and networks necessary to enhance implementation and enforcement effectiveness,” he said.
Singh described plastic pollution as one of the defining environmental crises of our time.
“Our oceans, rivers, estuaries, coastlines and terrestrial ecosystems are under growing pressure from plastic waste and microplastics.
“The consequences extend far beyond environmental degradation: marine plastic pollution threatens fisheries, biodiversity, tourism, coastal livelihoods, and, ultimately, human health and food security. With its extensive coastline and vibrant ocean economy, South Africa is acutely aware of these risks,” he said.
Government has therefore intensified efforts to curb plastic pollution through stronger waste regulation, Extended Producer Responsibility schemes, waste diversion and recycling programmes, and the promotion of circular economy principles.
“We are equally committed to broader ocean governance initiatives aimed at protecting marine ecosystems and advancing sustainable blue economy outcomes.
“The Plastic Waste Amendments provide an essential international framework to support these domestic actions and to prevent the dumping of problematic plastic wastes on developing countries,” Singh said.
The training was aimed at addressing a critical gap in enforcing the Basel Convention and its Plastic Waste Amendments.
For the first time, international experts and officials came together to strengthen cross-border controls on illegal waste trafficking and marine plastic pollution.
The training brought together officials and experts involved in environmental regulation, customs coordination, compliance monitoring and enforcement, with a particular focus on implementing the Basel Convention Plastic Waste Amendments and measures to address the growing global challenge of plastic pollution at sea. -SAnews.gov.za
