WWF wants more of SA’s sea to get protected status

25 October 2016 - 12:09 By TMG Digital
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WWF South Africa hopes a three-day forum of stakeholders will result in more support for a proposal to almost double the number of South Africa’s Marine Protected Areas (MPA).

“At present‚ less than 0.5% of South Africa’s oceans are formally protected compared to 8% of the land‚” WWF-SA said on Tuesday‚ the opening day of the meeting in Sardinia Bay.

“There are currently 22 new MPAs that have been proposed as part of the government’s Operation Phakisa‚ but they still need public support to make them a reality.”

It noted that the country‚ at the moment‚ has 24 MPAs‚ which “include ‘no-take’ zones where no fishing is allowed and ‘controlled’ areas where limited fishing activities are allowed”.

WWF-SA’s Marine Programme manager John Duncan said: “Effective management of MPAs should benefit both the planet and people in many ways.

“By protecting natural habitats‚ we also guard against the impacts of climate change while species will benefit if migration routes and habitats become a safe haven for spawning of fish larvae and growth of juvenile fish to help with stock replenishment.”

Among the most anticipated topics at the forum are “research results on kelp growth in the De Hoop area‚ whether MPAs help to conserve great white sharks and what we are learning from the growing body of work on baited underwater remote videos”.

It will also see the launch of a website “created to enhance communication‚ management and training of MPA staff by ensuring that relevant‚ up-to-date information is easily accessible”. 

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