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

STATE OF MANAGEMENT OF SOUTH AFRICA’S MARINE PROTECTED AREASwithin the MPA is regarded as the last portion of untouched sandy beach on the north shoreof False Bay (C. Attwood pers. comm.).4.4 iSIMANAGLISO WETLAND PARK AUTHORITYThe iSimangaliso Wetland Park was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1999 under the WorldHeritage Convention on the basis of its exceptional and outstanding natural values. It wasdeclared a World Heritage site under the WHCA in 2000 and the iSimangaliso WetlandAuthority was established.The iSimangaliso Authority as the management authority for the World Heritage Site areobligated to ensure compliance with the WHCA and the NEM:PAA and are therebymandated to: develop measures to protect the environment and cultures within the Park; promote and manage tourism-based development; prepare and implement an Integrated Management Plan and subordinate plans; promote the development of communities living within the Park, and enter into co-operative governance agreements.The iSimangaliso Authority has entered into two agreements relating to the two MPAssituated within the Park boundaries. A service agreement was signed with MCM inSeptember 2007 in which the iSimangaliso Authority agreed to conduct the management,monitoring, compliance and awareness in the MPAs and to submit quarterly and biannualprogress reports to MCM. MCM consented to contribute funds to the iSimangaliso Authorityfor the management of MPAs on approval of the quarterly progress reports. The secondagreement between iSimangaliso Authority and EKZNW stipulates that EKZNW isresponsible for the management of the marine conservation component of the Park. Liaisonbetween these agencies and MCM in relation to the MPAs occurs through theConservation/Compliance Manager within the Park Operations division of the iSimangalisoAuthority. It was reported that communication and information exchange with MCM wasadequate.In addition to the Park Operations division, the iSimangaliso Authority also has divisions forCommercial Development, Training and Capacity Building and Research, Policy andPlanning. Permits for conducting activities within the MPAs must be issued by theiSimangaliso Authority in addition to those issued by MCM.4.5 MPA MANAGEMENT SUPPORT SYSTEMIn 2008, WWF and Honda formed a partnership and initiated a Marine Parks Programme toplay a role in addressing the challenges to MPA management that were identified in the‘State of management of MPAs in South Africa’ report by Lemm and Attwood (2003). Prior tothe partnership and programme, WWF had directly started to play a supportive role inimproving MPA management from early 2006.Pg 43