Assessment

The Eastern Cape has more estuaries than any other province. Estuaries are important nursery and feeding areas for a wide range of fauna and flora, as well as important recreational sites for tourists and residents.

The estuarine health index provides an overall assessment of the condition of estuaries by considering three aspects, namely the status of fish assemblages, water quality and the aesthetics of the estuary. The indicator thus assesses the level of urbanisation and development as well as the ecosystem health.

The estuarine health index shows that much research is still needed to perform accurate assessments on many of the Eastern Cape estuaries.

Estuaries that are rated as aesthetically poor are generally near industrial or urban developments. Many estuaries lacked information for a comprehensive assessment of fish assemblage and water quality. Those that were sampled were mostly in a good state with respect to water quality and fish assemblages.