Marine protected areas for whales, dolphins, and porpoises: a world ...

Habitat Protection for Cetaceans around the World 251
Notes and rationale For more information
• The first marine park in South Africa, the marine portion of the • Attwood et al, 1997; Lemm
Tsitsikamma Forest and Coastal National Park was initially established and Attwood, 2003;
as a strict reserve in 1964 under the South African National Parks Act Robinson and De Graaff,
of 1962 as well as the National Parks Act No 57 of 1976. Today, it is 1994
still part of the Tsitsikamma National Park and is referred to as the • Contact: The Park Warden,
Tsitsikamma MPA after being named as one of 19 MPAs in the Tsitsikamma National Park,
Marine Living Resources Act No 18 of 1998 (see Regulation Gazette PO Storms River 6308
6978 from 2000). South Africa;
• Managed by South African National Parks (SANParks), there is a web: www.parks-sa.co.za/
management plan as of 2000 but it is considered not useful in its frames.asp?mainurl=parks/
current form (Lemm and Attwood, 2003) and a new plan as well as
an agreement is needed between MCM and SANParks to allow
SANParks to take full responsibility for management of MPAs that
are part of, as well as next to, national parks.
• All fishing is currently prohibited; the park has high visitor numbers
due to its location on the Garden Route but the marine section of
the park is considered underutilized for tourism and there is very
limited active management of the MPA (Lemm and Attwood, 2003).
• The purpose of the park is to conserve a representative section of
the southern Cape coastline with terrestrial and marine flora and
fauna. One objective is to provide a breeding area for marine life so
that it can repopulate exploited areas. The park itself specifies the
southern right whales as part of its fauna. Rated IUCN Category II.
national_parks.html
• Adjacent to Sardinia Bay Reserve and Sylvic Nature Reserve which • Attwood et al, 1997: Lemm
were declared under Ordinance 19 of 1974 Nature and and Attwood, 2003;
Environmental Conservation Ordinance. Named as one of 19 MPAs Robinson and De Graaff,
in the Marine Living Resources Act No 18 of 1998, the Sardinia Bay 1994
MPA is managed on a day-to-day basis by the Nelson Mandela • Contact: Marine and
Metropolitan Municipality (NMMM). Lemm and Attwood (2003) Coastal Management,
recommend that Marine and Coastal Management (MCM) should Ministry of Environmental
make a formal agreement that would give more responsibility for Affairs and Tourism,
management to NMMM. Cape Town;
web:
www.environment.gov.za
• Located beside the Mkambati Nature Reserve, a State Forest under • Attwood et al, 1997: Lemm
the National Forests Act; the MPA was set up under the Transkei and Attwood, 2003;
Environmental Decree 10 of 1992 and named as one of 19 MPAs in Robinson and De Graaff,
the Marine Living Resources Act No 18 of 1998. 1994
• MPA has no management or zoning plan; at present it is considered • Contact: Marine and
to be one zone where all fishing is prohibited. Coastal Management,
• Eastern Cape Dept of Economic Affairs, Environment and Tourism Ministry of Environmental
(ECDEAET) is supposed to be responsible for species conservation Affairs and Tourism,
and management of protected areas, but management agreement Cape Town;
needs to be formulated between ECDEAET and the national MCM web:
bodies (Lemm and Attwood, 2003).
Currently, there is no active management of this MPA.
• There are plans to expand this MPA and create a larger Pondoland
MPA which would be jointly managed by ECDEAET and SANParks.
www.environment.gov.za