Rotenone policy support and capacity development Part 2: Krom River Base-Line monitoring and capacity development.

Capacity Development in the Water Science Sector It is recognised that there is a need for Transformation and Redress, as well as Capacity Development, in the Water Science Sector in South Africa. However, students from some universities are currently not being offered sufficient opportunities to develop skills in aquatic (freshwater) research that are desperately needed for the protection of South Africa’s freshwater ecosystems and the sustainable long-term utilisation of freshwater resources. The majority of the emphasis in the development of water scientists is currently on the utilisation of water as a resource for agricultural, industrial and domestic use in the water and sanitation sector. The ecological and biological components of water science are less emphasised and opportunities for research in these areas may not be offered to students at higher education institutions (HEIs). Therefore, exploring opportunities for linking monitoring of aquatic ecosystems to University science programmes (such as BSc. Honours research projects) could create an interest in ecological based research of freshwater ecosystems and the experiences gained could equip (and inspire) students involved to pursue careers in ecological research of freshwater ecosystems. The primary objective of this Technical Report is to explore how a baseline assessment of the Krom River, Olifants-Doring River System, Western Cape, prior to the river being treated with the piscicide Rotenone could be used to integrate human capacity development into an ecological project with the intention of developing a BSc Honours level programme to integrate aquatic research and monitoring techniques into post-graduate and supervisor training at HEIs. The specific objectives were to: x Generate baseline data for the Krom River that CapeNature plans to treat with Rotenone in the near future, x Integrate post-graduate student projects into a long-term monitoring framework to develop national capacity in freshwater fish and invertebrate monitoring. Krom River Baseline Monitoring The Krom River rises in the Cederberg Mountains at an elevation of ~1500 m and flows in an easterly direction for approximately 20 km before joining the Matjies River which then flows into the Doring River. Surveys were conducted to document the baseline condition of the Krom River before the planned treatment with Rotenone to remove non-native fishes.