Cape Town - Only 5% of South Africa’s ocean space is a marine protected area and concerned environmentalists across the Western Cape are campaigning for more marine areas to become protected due to its impact on the environment.
There are currently 22 marine protected areas around the Western Cape, including coastal and offshore areas.
A marine protected area (MPA) is a space in the ocean that receives more protection and is strictly regulated from human activities.
Co-founder of #SeaTheBiggerPicture organisation, Shamier Magmoet, said: “Marine protected areas are needed for the restoration of our oceans and planet, however, they’re being fished empty and are dying from carbon emissions.
“Long line trawlers are also scraping the ocean floor dry, resulting in bycatch (catching fish unintentionally), therefore having only 5% of our ocean protected is not logical.”
Maryke Musson, curator at the Two Oceans Aquarium, said: “Areas that show significant natural and cultural importance should be very well protected to benefit the environment, the animals and people.
“In South Africa, 8% of the 1.2million km² of terrestrial area is protected and now 5% of our 1.5million km² exclusive economic zone of ocean space is protected. It would be amazing if the areas could be pushed to 10% on land and 10% in the ocean.”
“We need more MPAs, because a protected ecosystem tends to be more resistant and resilient to disturbances and serves as an effective insurance policy against overfishing, loss of biodiversity and climate change.
“MPAs are key to replenishing biodiversity and nourishing the growing human population,” Musson said.
Magmoet said it was essential for the public to become more aware of how important marine protected areas were for society and the environment.
Diving visuals were being used to increase awareness and educate the youth about it, he said.
The spokesperson for the Department of Environmental Affairs, Zolile Nqayi, said declaring more ocean space as MPAs means many activities in the fishing industry would be prohibited, which might be a challenge.
Musson said that humans’ needs and demands on natural resources had increased significantly and if they were not managed properly then we would soon reach unsustainable levels.
This could be seen clearly with South Africa’s fishing stocks, where 38% of our marine resources are overexploited, which is more than the global 34%.
“Marine protected areas can act as safe nursery grounds for fish to be replenished and protected, which can then address the decline in fishery stock,” she said.
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