Image captions:
iSimangaliso MPA. (Image credit: Judy Mann)
Sodwana Bay 7 mile reef in the iSimangaliso MPA. (Image credit: Dennis King)
Tsitisikamma MPA. (Image credit: Judy Mann)
Interesting facts about four of South Africa’s biggest and oldest coastal Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)!
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are the ‘nature reserves’ of the sea, conserving marine biodiversity to protect threatened species and ocean health. South Africa is home to some 41 MPAs which play a vital role in ocean conservation, although currently only 5% of the country’s ocean space is protected by these vital areas. In celebration of MPA Day on 1 August 2024, here’s a look at four of South Africa’s biggest coastal MPAs.
1. iSimangaliso MPA
Translation: Miracles and Wonder
Location: Maputaland, KwaZulu-Natal North Coast
Fast Fact: This was South Africa’s first World Heritage Site and is South Africa’s biggest coastal MPA
Marine Life: Coelacanths, leatherback and loggerhead turtles, hard and soft corals, myriads of reef fish, whale sharks, mantas, marlins, thresher sharks, spider crabs, sea pens, deep-water rock lobsters, glass sponges and much more!
This MPA, which forms part of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, is home to the rediscovered coelacanth, a fish that has existed since the dinosaurs. This is also an important nesting ground for leatherback and loggerhead turtles. The beautiful coral reefs off Sodwana are enjoyed by thousands of local and international scuba divers. The offshore waters are teaming with gamefish which attract many recreational ski-boat anglers every year. Although pelagic game fishing is permitted in zoned areas, no bottom fishing is allowed which protects reef fish.
The offshore expansion of this MPA that took place in 2019 now safeguards the feeding grounds of Critically Endangered leatherback turtles while protecting the entire continental shelf slope including numerous submarine canyons where coelacanths live. The deeper areas are home to dense fields of sea pens, delicate birds-nest glass sponges and other unusual animals adapted to living in this twilight zone.
Benefits of the iSimangaliso MPA
- Safeguards breeding and feeding areas of leatherback and loggerhead turtles.
- Protects some of the world’s southernmost coral reefs.
- Offers world-class scuba diving and game-fishing.
- Protects submarine canyons where coelacanths live.
- Protects reef fish spawning aggregations and spillover to adjacent exploited areas supports fisheries.
- Protects a wide diversity of shark and ray species.
Reasons for its success
- The amalgamation of the St Lucia Marine Reserve (proclaimed in 1979) and the Maputaland Marine Reserve (proclaimed in 1986) into the Greater St Lucia Wetland Park in 1999.
- The successful granting of World Heritage Site status in 2000, South Africa’s first World Heritage Site.
- Several long-term monitoring projects have proven the effectiveness of this MPA and have raised public awareness.
- The expansion of iSimangaliso MPA in 2019 which greatly increased the size of the MPA and the number and diversity of ecosystems and species protected.
2. Pondoland MPA
Translation: Waterfall Wonderland
Location: Pondoland Coast, Eastern Cape
Fast Fact: This is South Africa’s second-largest coastal MPA
Marine Life: Many threatened and endemic linefish including red steenbras, black musselcracker, seventy-four, scotsman, dageraad, etc. A unique giant kingfish aggregation. Gannets, sharks, dolphins and whales associated with the annual sardine run.
This unique 90 km stretch of the Wild Coast is home to many threatened and endemic reef fishes located within the 1 237 km2 protected area, extending from the Mzamba River south of Port Edward to the Umzimvubu River at Port St Johns and about 10 km offshore (to the 1000m depth contour). Some of the country’s healthiest estuaries are protected within this MPA, which is characterised by rocky shores backed by grasslands and forests that form part of the Pondoland Centre of Endemism.
Along Waterfall Bluff, which is part of the Egosa Fault north of Mbotyi, waterfalls drop nearly 100m directly into the ocean. Transitioning between subtropical waters and warm temperate waters, the Pondoland MPA is home to a high percentage of endemic species found nowhere else in the world and is an important spawning ground for several migratory fish species such as yellowtail and geelbek. This MPA forms part of the route of the annual Sardine Run during winter, while in summer, large shoals of adult giant kingfish visit the Mtentu Estuary for refuge when the sea is cold.
Benefits of the Pondoland MPA
- Protects some of South Africa’s healthiest estuaries.
- Protects overexploited linefish and allows for their recovery.
- Enhances adjacent fished areas through spillover.
- Protects a wide diversity of invertebrates and seaweeds found nowhere else in the world.
- Offers tourists and divers access to the annual Sardine Run, known as ‘The Greatest Shoal on Earth’.
Reasons for its success
- The original Mkhambati MPA (proclaimed in 1991) was expanded into the Pondoland MPA in 2004 increasing the size and diversity of marine ecotypes.
- The wild, undeveloped, and inaccessible nature of the coastline, the narrow continental shelf, and the proximity of the powerful Agulhas Current have resulted in some of the area being protected as a natural MPA.
- The establishment of a long-term reef fish monitoring project in the Pondoland MPA in 2006 built awareness among local ski-boat fishers about the value of the MPA leading to a degree of self-policing.
- Offshore the MPA is zoned into two controlled zones that buffer a large central no-take zone between the Sikombe and the Mbotyi Rivers.
- The Mtentu and Msikaba estuaries are fully protected as part of this MPA and provide important nursery habitats for numerous invertebrate and fish species.
3. Tsitisikamma MPA
Nickname: The Crown Jewel of South African MPAs
Location: Garden Route, on the border between the Eastern and Western Cape
Fast Fact: This is the oldest MPA in Africa
Animal Life: Roman, dageraad, red steenbras, humpback and southern right whales, bottlenose and humpback dolphins, Cape cormorants, terns, kelp gulls and oystercatchers, and Cape clawless otters.
Established in 1964, this 294 km2 MPA is an invaluable national asset extending 60 km from Groot Rivier East to Groot Rivier West and 5.6 km out to sea. This wild coastal stretch is characterised by dramatic cliffs and rugged rocks, with forests home to ancient yellowwood trees and fynbos grasslands, all protecting endemic species of the warm temperate Agulhas Ecoregion.
Benefits of the Tsitsikamma MPA
- Protects unique marine biodiversity characteristic of this warm temperate ecoregion.
- Protects endemic fish and allows for spillover into adjacent areas, supporting local fishers.
- Provides a benchmark for scientific study into healthy, unexploited fish and invertebrate populations.
- Tsitsikamma is the marine equivalent of the Kruger National Park attracting thousands of visitors with the famous Otter Hiking Trail often being booked over a year in advance.
- Local businesses benefit from the tourists attracted to the Tsitsikamma MPA.
Reasons for its success
- It is managed by South African National Parks and the whole MPA is a no-take area, except for 20% of the shoreline where local community members are allowed to fish.
- Its wild and inaccessible nature further helps to protect this MPA.
- With the long period of protection (50 years), marine ecosystems have recovered to near pristine status.
- Research in the MPA has helped improve knowledge and raise awareness about the benefits of this important MPA.
4. De Hoop MPA
Nickname: Whale Trail
Location: Near Cape Agulhas, Western Cape
Fast Fact: Considered to be one of the world’s prime whale-watching destinations.
Animal Life: Southern right, Bryde’s and humpback whales, bottlenose and common dolphins, important linefish including galjoen, blacktail, zebra, white musselcracker, white steenbras, dusky kob, shad, plus many species of sharks and rays including great whites, smooth hammerheads, common smoothhounds, spotted gully sharks, eagle rays and many invertebrate species.
The beautiful beaches and fynbos of this 289 km2 MPA make this a tourist haven, extending 48 km from Witsand to Skipskop on the southern Cape coast and extending 5.6 km out to sea. Considered one of the best places in the world for shore-based whale watching from May to June when Southern right whales calve, up to 350 southern right whales have been recorded at one time. Migrating hammerhead sharks, mega-pods of dolphins, and flocks of Cape gannets feasting on sardines can also be seen. Intertidal rocky platforms and rocky subtidal reefs are also home to incredible marine life.
Benefits of De Hoop MPA
- Protects vulnerable surf-zone fish, shark, and ray species.
- Supports fish populations in adjacent, exploited areas through spillover.
- Provides a safe haven for breeding whales.
- An important area for tourism and environmental education, which support local businesses.
- The adjacent De Hoop Nature Reserve is home to the amazing plant diversity of the Cape Fynbos, as well as bird and antelope species.
- Fish tagging has demonstrated the movement of galjoen (South Africa’s national fish) out of the MPA and how it benefits adjacent fisheries.
Reasons for its success
- Before being declared an MPA in 1985, this was a military missile testing site so people were not allowed there. This means that there was little extractive resource use in the area.
- The establishment of the MPA adjacent to a terrestrial nature reserve meant that access could be controlled.
- Managed by CapeNature as a restricted (no-take) area.
- A long-term fish monitoring and tagging project was established in 1987 which has demonstrated the recovery of numerous surf-zone fish populations.
- These fish populations support adjacent fisheries through spillover.
Join in the MPA Day celebrations in 2024
Themed ‘Celebrating MPAs - for People and for Nature’, MPA Day invites people across the globe to recognise the importance of these ‘nature reserves of the sea’.
Join in on all the MPA Day 2024 action by visiting MPA Day for updated events and activities. Join in the discussions around MPAs on Instagram @marineprotectedareassa, Twitter @MPAsSA1 or Facebook Marine Protected Areas SA @MPASouthAfrica.
A special Webinar on The MPA Guide will be held on the 1 August for more information and Registration: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/316f6e61-9e40-468c-b2cc-70532cd70fd8@3820702a-e319-4f37-a945-a25afac01c10
Article Courtesy of www.oliviajones.co.za
Issued on behalf of: The MPA Day Committee
Disseminated by:
Olivia Jones Communications
For more information, please contact:
Olivia Jones Communications
Cell: 083 653 1720
Email: media@oliviajones.co.za
