Above picture: Dr Dion George, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment

The Mouse-Free Marion (MFM) Project warmly welcomes South Africa’s newly appointed Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dr Dion George.  The Minister joined the Cabinet last month as part of the 10-party Government of National Unity (GNU).  Dr George takes over the Ministry from Barbara Creecy, who is now the Minister of Transport.

Coming from a finance and economic background, in which fields he holds both an MBA and a PhD from South Africa’s University of the Witwatersrand, the Minister’s career spans several decades, during which time he has been an advocate for transparent governance and economic growth (click here).  He first became a Member of Parliament in 2008.  In an early interview since his appointment, Minister George stated that his immediate focus will be the country’s transition towards a low-carbon economy, working closely with the Presidential Climate Commission.  However, he went on to say: “What I’m going to do in the very first instance is to wrap my head around all of the key issues in the portfolio”.  Read more about the Minister’s views of the direction and priorities for his Ministry here.

Climate change was featured in Dr George’s  maiden department budget vote speech, delivered to Parliament on 15 July, as was biodiversity conservation (click here).  Deputy Ministers Narend Singh and Bernice Swarts in the DFFE ministry also gave their budget vote addresses to Parliament on the same date.

Dr Mavuso Msimang, Chairperson of the Mouse-Free Marion Non-Profit Company’s Board, said of Minister George’s appointment: “On behalf of the MFM NPC Board may I warmly welcome Dr Dion George as the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.  All going well with our fund-raising and addressing of technical issues, we are convinced that it will be during his tenure as Minister that the implementation of the project to eradicate the House Mice on Marion Island will take place.  As such, the Minister’s championing of the project will be keenly appreciated.”

Mark Anderson, CEO, BirdLife South Africa and Chair of the MFM Management Committee, writes: “I, and indeed the entire MFM Project team, look forward to working with the new Minister as we progress towards our common goal of eradicating Marion Island’s seabird-killing House Mice.  We are heartened by his stated determination to address the deleterious effects of climate change, noting that there is evidence that climate change has contributed to the mice having increased in numbers and taken to attacking the island’s birds.  We wish him well as he takes up the reins of an important Ministry”.

John Cooper, News Correspondent, Mouse-Free Marion Project, 23 July 2024

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The winter-breeding Grey Petrel is one of the species on Marion Island that is at risk to local extinction from attacks by the introduced House Mice; infographic by the Agreement in the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels

The Mouse-Free Marion Project is a registered non-profit company (No. 2020/922433/08) in South Africa, established to eradicate the invasive albatross-killing mice on Marion Island in the Southern Ocean.  The project was initiated by BirdLife South Africa and the South African Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment.  Upon successful completion, the project will restore the critical breeding habitat of over two million seabirds, many globally threatened, and improve the island’s resilience to a warming climate.  For more information or to support the project please visit mousefreemarion.org.