department of forestrylatest news & developments
Some electrical oils may contain polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) — toxic, man-made chemicals linked to cancer and a range of other health problems, the department of forestry, fisheries and the environment said on Friday.

Environment department warns against using transformer oil on the body over toxic PCB risks

The department has issued a public health warning after reports that transformer oil is being used for medicinal purposes in some communities

  • Sheree Bega
2 min read
Former environment minister Dion George. (Photo: Environmentza/X)

Axing of former minister Dion George risks undermining SA’s climate leadership at COP30

The organisations argued that South Africa’s active participation at COP30 has always been crucial

  • Sheree Bega
3 min read
New regulations are in place in a bid to protect the critically endangered African penguin from the harms caused by shipping. Photo: John Yeld

Saving the African penguin is a noisy affair

New regulations put in place strict rules, including seasonal restrictions and spill prevention measures, to balance penguin conservation with shipping

5 min read
African penguins, endemic to Southern Africa, are one of the most threatened seabird species globally and they face the risk of extinction in the wild by 2035. Populations have shrunk by 90% in the past 70 years, dwindling to about 8 500 breeding pairs today.

Conservationists fight for scientifically-informed fishing closures to ensure African penguin survival

The applicants argue that the forestry, fisheries and environment minister’s interim fishing closures are ‘biologically meaningless’

  • Sheree Bega
7 min read
Nick and Nichole Nyalungu, winners of the Mpumalanga Green Innovation Challenge. Photo courtesy Mpumalanga Department of Economic Development and Tourism

Mining’s mess is just energy transition’s opportunity

Rehabilitating mines presents an opportunity for environmental restoration and economic empowerment in the energy transition

  • Eyaaz
7 min read
Protection critical: Green Point Biodiversity Park in Cape Town. South Africa is one of the world’s 17 mega-diverse countries. Photo: Chris Hitchcock/Gallo Images

The good, the bad and the baffling of South Africa’s draft biodiversity bill

There is a weakened mechanism for public consultation in the draft legislation

  • Sheree Bega
7 min read
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife has reluctantly decided to dehorn its rhinos after KwaZulu-Natal lost 325 rhinos since 2023, the majority of them to poaching.

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife resorts to dehorning rhinos to limit poaching

Most of the 325 rhinos that died in KwaZulu-Natal were a result of poaching the animals for their horns

  • Umamah Bakharia
2 min read
Transport Minister Barbara Creecy

Environment department has made positive strides over the past 30 years

But its political clout is limited with regard to mining, and oil and gas exploration with resistance from the Mantashe camp around environmental authorisations This content is restricted to registered users and subscribers. Get Your Free Account The Mail & Guardian is committed to providing all our readers with the best possible experience. Please register your free account now. Your registration is your first step to becoming an M&G community member. Register Registration enables: – M&G newsletters access – notifications – the best possible experience Already registered? Login here Want to subscribe and get even more benefits? Explore our subscription offers

  • Sheree Bega
1 min read
South Africa’s landfill sites are in a terrible state and if drastic measures are not taken, the country will soon drown in its own waste. (Andy Mkosi)

SA will soon ‘drown in its own waste’, warns landfill expert

But the environment department says it has interventions in place

  • Sheree Bega
7 min read