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The Amathole Freshwater Species Project and Biodiversity Stewardship By Christine Coppinger, Field Officer for the EWT’s Source to Sea Programme The Amathole Freshwater Species Conservation Project (AFSCP) is a relatively new project within the EWT and has been running for a year now. So far we have made good progress with obtaining baseline and monitoring data on a number of endangered freshwater species. These include the charismatic Eastern Cape Rocky which is an endangered fish species with a limited distribution range in the Eastern Cape and the Amathole Toad which is critically endangered with only six individuals being found over the past 26 years. Freshwater species, notably amphibians, are experiencing declines worldwide due to pressure on their habitats, which are generally poorly protected and highly exploited. These vital freshwater habitats therefore require our protection so that they can continue to provide South Africa with vital ecosystem services. In order to preserve the integrity of critical freshwater habitatsfor the benefit of these endangered species and indeed for the sustainable production of vital water resources, these habitats need to be protected somehow. The EWT uses the Biodiversity Stewardship Programme (BSP) as a tool to do this. The BSP is an initiative of the South African Department of Environmental Affairs who partner with key conservation organisations in order to achieve their goals for conserving biodiversity outside of state-owned protected areas and for the expansion of protected areas. The BSP is essentially a voluntary programme that private landowners may enter into if they wish to protect their land. There are four categories of protection available through the BSP, as shown in Figure 1, with an increasing commitment by the landowner to conservation from Conservation Area to Nature Reserve. The process of declaring sites under the programme takes a minimum of three years, with input needed from regional conservation bodies such as the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency within the Eastern Cape. The Amathole mountains are one of the few high water yield areas within South Africa and are therefore, justifiably largely included in the Eastern Cape Protected Area (see Figures 1 and 2). The freshwater habitats in these mountains are still largely pristine but are not formally protected. There are numerous hiking trails and beautiful natural attractions in the area which can be enjoyed by all. These habitats require urgent attention if we are to benefit from these stunning areas for years to come and hopefully the BSP programme will help to achieve this. Figure 1: A map of South Africa showing the Strategic Water Source Areas (SWSA) circled in red. The green rectangle indicates the Amathole SWSA and the area of focus for the Amathole Freshwater Species Conservation Project. Figure 2: A map showing the focus areas for the Amathole Freshwater Species Conservation Project which fall mostly within the Amathole strategic water source area. The Eastern Cape Rocky is known to occur within the Keiskamma River and the Amathole Toad distribution is shown. The Source to Sea Programme's Amathole Species Project is proudly sponsored by the European Union and Rand Merchant Bank.