State of Management of South Africa’s ... - WWF South Africa

STATE OF MANAGEMENT OF SOUTH AFRICA’S MARINE PROTECTED AREASnetwork of MPAs by 2012. This target was reflected in the CBD’s work programme on marineand coastal biodiversity.1.1.2 Definition and purpose of MPAsIn order to get an accurate measure on the achievement of international obligations andprogrammes, it is essential to establish a common understanding for what is meant by theterm MPA and what primary purpose MPAs serve.The most widely accepted definition for MPAs, given by the IUCN, is:‘any area of inter-tidal or sub-tidal terrain, together with its overlying water andassociated flora, fauna, historical, or cultural features, which has been reserved bylaw or other effective means to protect part or all of the enclosed environment’.(IUCN, Resolution 17.38).There are key elements in this definition that several authors have incorporated in their ownanalogous definitions for MPAs. These elements are: MPAs are designated marine areas that can include subtidal and intertidal areasMPAs have some form of protection and most often this is legally established, but itcan be established through customs and traditionsMPAs are important not only for the protection of natural features but also culturalfeatures and traditional uses or cultural practicesThe protection provided by a MPA should cover the seabed and the water columnAn MPA does not necessarily have the same level of protection throughoutThe IUCN redefined the term protected area in 2007 as:‘A clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and managed, throughlegal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature withassociated ecosystem services and cultural values’.This definition supersedes the 1999 definition of MPA and consequently a marine area needsto fall within the IUCN definition for the protected area to be considered as a MPA (UNEP-WCMC 2008). This new definition clearly depicts that protected areas must be conservationfocusedand precludes sites with the primary purpose of resource extraction. However itdoes not prohibit additional purposes for protected areas such as research, education,fisheries management and the improvement of livelihoods providing that they are consistentwith conservation (IUCN-WCMC 2008).The term MPA has been applied widely to marine sites that meet the IUCN definition forprotected areas regardless of differences in the additional purposes, design, managementapproach and the gazetted name (IUCN-WCMC 2008). Some authors have broadened thedefinition of MPAs so to emphasise that variation in purpose, design and managementapproach, is a characteristic of the term ‘MPA’. Martin et al (2006) described the MPA as ‘aPg 3