Page 10 - South Africa Report

Marine protected areas

Marine protected areas are recognized under the Protected Areas Act. An ecosystem is considered
protected if it falls within one or more protected areas. South Africa demonstrates dedication to
marine conservation. For example, although the Prince Edward Islands Marine Protected Area has
very minimal threat from human activity, 12.03 per cent of it is protected. South Africa is on track to
expand its effective and representative marine protected area network to the 10% SDG target by the
conclusion of the SDGs in 2030.
Country Profile

Table 2: South African Marine Protected Areas as a percentage of the Exclusive
Economic Zone
The Republic of South Africa
Area of MPAs km2 Area of EEZ km 2 Percentage in MPA

PEI 180 000 466 879 38.55

Mainland 4540 1 068 659 0.42

Combined 184 540 1 535 538 12.03

Source: (SANBI)

Under the operation Phakisa an additional 20 MPAs are to be added to the South Africa protected
area network. This will increase protection of the mainland continental ocean around South Africa
from 0.4 to 5 per cent, and the new areas will advance ocean protection by approximately 50 000
km (SANBI, 2018).
2
This indicator has been supported by a proportion of government funds together with the GERD
program. The funds are in support of maintaining and improving the ocean through increase of
marine research and technology thus increasing scientific knowledge of marine eco systems.

Fisheries
The challenge

South African waters are rich in fisheries. However, there are challenges managing the resource and
if not done properly is likely to impact the fisheries resources and livelihoods of coastal communities.

The situation
Total Fisheries production 578,000 metric tons. The annual growth in capture fisheries has averaged
-1 per cent between 2000 and 2015. The annual average growth in aquaculture between 2000
and 2015 was 5.6 per cent. It is estimated that 90 per cent of National Fisheries contribution is
derived from the Western Cape Region and this mainly contributes to the economies of the coastal
communities. The sector is considered to have contributed an approximate of US $323 million in
2008.

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