Sustainability Report 2012 - Transnet

Environmental dividends (continued)NMPPThe endangered giant bullfrogAs a greenfields project, the NMPP had as one of its objectivesto ensure sustainable infrastructure development. During theconstruction phase, the NMPP traversed several wetlands thatwere habitat to the endangered giant bullfrog. Transnetdeveloped a biodiversity offset plan for the wetlands that wereimpacted by the construction of Terminal 2 of the pipeline nearHeidelberg. With the bullfrog pan being so close to the terminalsite, every effort was made to protect the species duringconstruction by introducing protective catch fences to preventthe bullfrogs from entering the construction site. The fence wasclosely monitored on a daily basis and frogs that did manage toget through the fence were taken out of the construction areaand safely relocated. Further risk will be mitigated in the comingyear by facilitating the construction of concrete culverts alongthe route and also by constructing drift fences to guide the frogsas they migrate.Port of NgquraA marine biologist tagging juvenile fishat the Port of NgquraThe Port of Ngqura is habitat to approximately 47 species offish indicating a diverse ichthyofauna. The port provides a hardsubstrata habitat that is very different to the soft sedimenthabitat characteristic of the adjacent sandy beach environment.As a result, the port has the potential to alter the distribution,diversity and abundance of the fish species in the coastalenvironment. It has been suggested that the abundance of fishspecies could be an indication of the good biological status ofthe port. Throughout the construction of the port, care wastaken to ensure that the natural habitat of the fish species isprotected. A study conducted between September 2006 andSeptember 2007 indicates that the fish assemble between threehabitats in the port: dolosse, quay wall and sandy shore. The portis effectively a sheltered extension of the marine environmentand provides a refuge for marine species on an otherwisehigh-energy coast.Port of DurbanThe Bayhead Natural Heritage Site (BNHS) comprisesapproximately 13 hectares of mangrove forest and sevenhectares of secondary coastal grassland. The BNHS is situatedon prime industrial land bordered on one side by Pier 2 containerterminal. The Bayhead mangroves and adjacent intertidal mudand sand flats constitute one of the few areas in the Port ofDurban that reflect the Bay’s once diverse and rich naturalheritage. National Ports Authority is committed to managing theenvironment including the protection of the BNHS and has setthis area aside for conservation in order to ensure that thisportion of land remain as part of the historical habitat of thePort of Durban.Mangrove forest at Bayhead NationalHeritage Site76