Page 13 - South Africa Report

The constraints
Inadequate legislation

Legislation and management framework of managing seagrass beds is lacking in South Africa.
There is no specific attention on seagrass, no research to generate data and information abkout the
seagrass in the WIO. Country Profile

Pressure on marine resources The Republic of South Africa
Pressure on ocean resources, developmental trade-offs, competing interests, coordination issues:
Address the principle of Marine Spartial Planning (Marine Spartial Planning Bill to be signed into law),
co governance and management Marine Spartial Planning between the national government and the
local government.

Data availability
Data availability and the impact on medium- and long-term planning processes: lack of data
integration and quality management, data gaps inconsistence in the collection and methodologies
used by different agenciesand jurisdiction. Despite progress in many countries, there is still a huge
gap in the nature of information needed to accurately monitor and report on SDGs (Sanga, 2011).

The opportunity
Employment
There is a significant increase in the employment opportunities in the coastal communities, include
subsistence and artisanal fishers although there is no quantification on how many are employed. The
Line fish sector among all sectors, employs about 3000 followed by the squid and deep-sea hake
sectors as per 2003, comprehensive economic assessment by Rhodes University Economic Sectoral
Study, 2003). (In a broader context, DEAT runs an Expanded Public Works Program that was reported
to have created 13 1887 job opportunities and 459 permanent jobs in 2006/7).

Government and non-government sector policies
The principal regulatory framework governing fisheries management comprises section 24 of
South Africa’s Constitution and the Marine Living Resources Act of 1998 (MLRA). The Marine and
coastal Management (MCM) is responsible for the emerging issues of fishing rights of commercial
and subsistence and general management of the marine and coastal activities. The Marine Living
Resources Act (No. 18, 1998) aimed at creation of employment, development of human resource, and
achieving economic growth. Other Acts that support the various fisheries sectors include (additional
legislative framework). These include the:

• The National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Act (No. 57 of 2003),
• The National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (No. 10 of 2004),
• The Maritime Zones Act (No. 15 of 1994), Sea Birds and Seals Protection Act (No. 46 of 1973),
• Sea Shore Act (No. 21 of 1935)
• The Nature and Environmental Conservation Ordinance, (Ordinance 19 of 1974).

Mariculture farming is managed under the Mariculture Policy; while the Experimental Fisheries Policy
guides the development of potential new fisheries, such as octopus. A Rights Transfer Policy exists and

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