Offshore development can cause lasting harm to both the environment and local coastal communities, including pollution, health risks, and damage to vital fish stocks. Pollution and associated public health risks directly endanger communities, often historically marginalized, that rely on sustainable fish stocks and marine ecosystems for employment, income, and affordable access to food.
We help protect the marine-based livelihoods, marine environment, threatened species, and marine protected areas from harmful activities by commenting on policy and legislation, participating in licensing processes and calling for better protection and enforcement.
Projects:
The Inhambane Seascape has been recognised by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a marine conservation area of global importance. In 2024, it was highlighted to be a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) by the Mozambican government. This area is also home to the Dugong which is on the IUCN red list of endangered animals classified as vulnerable. Less than 500 remain in the Inhambane region.
Searcher, a company providing subsurface data to the global energy industry, plans to carry out a 3D offshore seismic survey in the Save Basin, Inhambane Province. The project area covers about 42,814 km², with seismic data to be collected from up to 18,679 km². The area includes important marine habitats such as coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass beds, and lies near three protected areas: Bazaruto Archipelago National Park (8 km away), São Sebastião Total Protection Zone (9 km away), and Pomene National Reserve (11 km away).
The company has received approval to conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA No. 322/SPA/DA/180/023) for its 3D Offshore Seismic Research Project in the Save Basin, in the province of Inhambane. In October 2023, All Rise and 57 other organisations submitted comments on the EIA, raising concerns about the project's potential environmental impacts.
Our client:
- Our Children’s Earth Foundation (OCE)
Partners/Collaborators:
- Associação Justiça Ambiental (JA!)
- Mission Blue Mozambique and South Africa Unite: Maputaland Hope Spot Showcases Powerful Binational Collaboration for Ocean Protection - Mission Blue
- RE: Wild As global meetings on climate and biodiversity get underway, coalition of organizations calls for protection of one of Africa’s last bastions of marine biodiversity and support of local communities
- Natural Justice
- Marine Megafauna Foundation (MMF)
Submission:
5 March 2023 public comments on the project can be found:
More details can be found in our Searcher Fact Sheet.pdf
The Mutamba/Jangamo project, a joint venture between Savannah Resources and Rio Tinto, is a large-scale mineral sands project in the Jangamo, Dongane, and Ravene in the Inhambane Seascape. In November and December 2023, operations for mining started despite no Environmental Authorisation (EA) having been granted.
Our client:
- Our Children’s Earth Foundation (OCE)
Our partners/collaborators:
- Natural Justice
- Associação Justiça Ambiental (JA!)
Our correspondent attorneys:
- JLA Advogados
We have submitted complaints to the government and to the mining company and are in the process of taking further action to stop the ongoing unlawful mining.
Letters written to the government:
- 10 December 2024: Letter to Mutamba and EAP - Jangamo_101222.pdf (English)
- January 2025: MMS (Rio Tinto) response to JLA 31.01.25 signed.pdf (English)
Please find more details in this link: Mutamba Mineral Sands Mining Fact Sheet.pdf
Haiyu (Mozambique) Mining CO.; Lda, contracted environmental consultant Amilcar Vicente Marremula to carry out the Environmental Impact Assessment and the Environmental Impact Study (EIS) for the mining exploitation project of Heavy Sands, in the mining concession No. 7169C, with 3190 ha, situated between Belane (Chipanze), Mapinhane Administrative Post, and Quewene (Mahatsela), Administrative Post Headquarters, Vilankulo District, Inhambane Province.
Our client:
- Our Children’s Earth Foundation (OCE)
Our partners/collaborators:
- Natural Justice
- Associação Justiça Ambiental (JA!)
Submissions and Responses:
- 2024 11 22 Pedido de informacao Haiyu- MTA JLA 22112024 Submitted (Portuguese), 2024 11 22 JLA letter to Minster of Mines .docx.pdf (English)
- 2024 11 22 Pedido de informacao Haiyu MIREME JLA 22112024 (Portugese), 2024 11 22 LETTER from JLA to MIREME.docx.pdf (English)
- MIREME response Haiyu 0801202 (Portugese)
MIREME response_Haiyu_English.pdf (English)
More details can be found in our Haiyu Fact Sheet
The Wild Coast, located in South Africa’s Eastern Cape, is an ecologically rich and culturally significant region. The purpose of Shell’s exploration was to assess offshore oil and gas deposits, but we were alarmed by the potential harm seismic blasting could inflict on the fragile marine ecosystem and the coastal communities who rely on the ocean for their livelihoods.
We, and the other applicants, challenged the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy’s decision to grant Shell and Impact Africa an exploration right for seismic surveys off South Africa’s Wild Coast.
In September 2022, the High Court ruled in our favour, declaring the exploration right unlawful and setting it aside. Shell appealed this decision to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA), which upheld the High Court’s ruling on 3 June 2024.
However, the SCA also held that it would be “just and equitable” to allow the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy to decide on Shell’s third application to renew the exploration right. We approached the Constitutional Court to appeal against this order by the SCA. Heads of argument have been filed, and the hearing has been set down for the 16th and 17th of September 2025.
2022 Review Application Papers:
- 2 December 2021 Notice of Motion: Issued Notice of Motion.pdf
- 2 December 2021 Applicant’s Founding Affidavit: FA Signed.pdf
- 7 December 2021 Applicant’s Supplementary Affidavit: 2. Supplementary Papers.pdf
- 2 December 2021 Court Directive: Directive.pdf
- 14 December 2021 Shell’s Answering Affidavit: 3. Shell Answer.pdf
- 16 December 2021 Shell’s HOA: Shell - Shells HOA.pdf
- 17 December 2021 Applicant’s Replying Affidavit: 5. Replying Papers and Condonation.pdf
- 28 December 2021 Judgment of interim interdict: 0. SUSTAINING THE WILD COAST JUDGMENT.pdf
- 24 January 2022 Amendment from Respondents: 2022.01.24 Shell Supplementary Papers[65].pdf
- 1 September 2022 High Court Judgment: Judgment on Sustaining Wild Coast v Minister of Mineral Resources & Energy & Others (2).pdf
- 17 May 2024 Supreme Court of Appeal Judgment: Supreme Court of Appeal Judgment.pdf
More details can be found in our Shell Case Fact Sheet
In 2019 we assisted Our Children’s Earth and others in objecting to Sasol Petroleum Mozambique Exploration Limitada’s (“Sasol”) offshore seismic acquisition and drilling project in close proximity to the Bazaruto Archipelago protected area. We were successful in preventing exploration drilling from taking place in a pristine marine environment that sustains local fisheries and tourism and is home to an important breeding population of dugong.
In 2019 Kirsten assisted WILDOCEANS in appealing the decision of the Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries to set aside the decision of the Department of Mineral Resources to grant an environmental authorisation to ENI South Africa BV & Sasol Africa Limited for the exploration of oil and gas off the East Coast of South Africa.
We run workshops on marine protection and marine protected areas which have been well received in the past as they provide the participants with an understanding of the law and the knowledge required to exercise their rights.