NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
WRITTEN REPLY
QUESTION No. 361
DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 14 March 2014 INTERNAL
QUESTION PAPER NO. 06 - 2014
â361. Mrs JF Terblanche (DA) to ask the Minister of Science and
Technology:
1) What is his departmentâs involvement with the International
Barcode of Life (iBOL) project;
2) Is the National Research Foundation involved in the project; if
so, what are the relevant details?â
NW415E
REPLY:
1. The involvement of the Department of Science and Technology (DST)
in the International Barcode of Life (iBOL) project in South
Africa, has been through:
i) its entity â the National Research Foundation (NRF) â where
one of its officials served on the Steering Committee of iBOL.
ii) funding via the South African Biosystematics Initiative
(SABI) for a third barcoding workshop that was held from 30
September to 1 October 2010.
The DST formed a new programme in 2011 called the Foundational
Biodiversity Information Programme (FBIP) by consolidating
various biodiversity programmes it had been supporting
previously. The iBOL activities are part of this new programme.
The mission of the FBIP is to enable the generation and
dissemination of foundational biodiversity information that is
needed and used for the Green Economy and for decision-making to
ensure sustainable livelihoods in South Africa. The South
African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) manages the
overall implementation of the programme while the National
Research Foundation (NRF) takes care of the project proposal
review and grant allocation processes of the FBIP.
Under FBIP, researchers are invited to submit proposals for
either large integrated projects (not limited to barcoding),
which are funded up to R2 million per annum for 3 years, or for
small grants of up to R100 000 per annum. For example, in 2013,
one large integrated project on marine biodiversity was selected
for funding, and this project includes barcoding of marine
species.
2. The National Research Foundation is involved in barcoding
activities in the country through its entity, the South African
Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB) where South Africaâs
fish species are currently being barcoded. Furthermore, the NRF
and the South African National Biodiversity Institute acted as
receiving institutions where a document supporting the
establishment of a barcording programme in South Africa was
submitted. In addition, a number of key individuals from the
two institutions were nominated to serve as members of the
interim Steering Committee appointed to implement the initial
phases of the strategy for establishing iBOL in South Africa.