The Ministry of Environment and Tourism wishes to announce that Cabinet at its meeting held on the 27th March 2007 approved that the Ministry of Environment and Tourism manages the dune belt area through the issuance of utilization permits as an interim measure until it is formally proclaimed as a Protected Area.
The said measure is based on the outcome of a two day consultative workshop prior to the December 2006 holiday, in which Local Authorities, line Ministries, the Regional Council of the coastal region, Tourism Operators and other stakeholders participated.
It is envisaged that the dune belt area be included as a recreational area at the proclamation of the Walvis Bay Nature Reserve. The reason for this is that some extremely sensitive areas of high biodiversity importance such as the breeding site of the red data listed Damara Tern and the estuary of the Swakop River into the Atlantic Ocean, exist in this area.
Permits to use the dune belt area for recreational purposes by particularly the Off-Road Recreational Vehicles (ORV’s) will therefore be issued at the offices of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism in Swakopmund and Walvis Bay during the coming Easter Weekend and thereafter.
I want to request our visitors and the general public to adhere to this measure as we need to find a balance between conserving the dune environment and providing citizens and tourists with an opportunity to enjoy the Off-Road Recreational Vehicle (ORV) activities.  Every user and visitor to this area is thus obliged to adhere and obey the conditions and rules as laid down.  Everyone found operating outside the parameters of the laid down conditions and rules will be dealt with in terms of applicable legal instruments.  You are thus advised to be cautioned when granted a permit to visit this area.
Officials of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism will be on duty to monitor the utilization of the dune belt at all times.