Ministry parks Coastal Management Authority plan

A proposed coastal watchdog got shelved after officials spotted it stepping on existing laws and agency turf.

Timoteus Mufeti explains the CMA freeze

• The environmental commissioner said the Coastal Management Authority idea lacks implementation appetite.
• Mufeti revealed fears that the agency would yank control over beaches and marine zones.
• He flagged confusion around jurisdictions between high and low tide boundaries.

Anja Kreiner breaks down legal conflicts

• The chief fisheries biologist noted that CMA functions duplicate the Fisheries Act and the Pollution Act.
• Kreiner's team couldn't figure out which tasks belonged to the authority versus the ministry departments.
• Officials worried the proposal looked like a jobs program for the conservation project.
• Maritime affairs already handles coastal pollution, making the new body redundant.

The 2012 policy sits in limbo

• The Global Environment Facility bankrolled the coastal management framework through a 2006 initiative.
• A conservation insider called the stalled CMA a missed chance from donor-funded work.
• The policy aimed to balance human livelihoods with ecosystem health along the shores.