Case Decision - 197212

The South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) would like to thank you for submitting the Background Information Document (BID) for the proposed Ara Gas Pipeline Network located in Saldanha Bay and St Helena Bay, Saldanha Bay Local Municipality, West Coast District Municipality, Western Cape Province.
As part of the Environmental Authorisation process a Scoping Report and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) must be completed. The BID has already identified that a Heritage Assessment is to be undertaken as part of the process, and SAHRA supports this. It must be noted that the heritage assessment must include a maritime and underwater cultural heritage assessment undertaken on the parts of the project located below the high-water mark.
In terms of the National Heritage Resources Act, No 25 of 1999 (NHRA), Sections 2 and 35 stipulate 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.
The proposed gas pipelines are located in Saldanha Bay and St Helena Bay and are to be used to transport natural gas from the Floating Storage and Regasification Units (FSRUs) to the processing plants on land. Saldana Bay has a rich maritime history with numerous wrecks recorded as being lost in the bay. St Helena Bay is an historical fishing harbour and records show there are potentially two wrecks for which we do not have accurate coordinates located in the area.
Due to the possibility that heritage resources may be present along the proposed routes of the gas pipeline network, the heritage impact assessment must include a specialist study of maritime and underwater cultural heritage to be undertaken by a suitably qualified Maritime Archaeologist.