South African Country Life – September 2019

SouthAfrica’sMarineProtectedAreas

■ Fora comprehensivelistofpermitted,andprohibitedactivityin MPAs,gpwonline.co.za

■ SAAMBRhasplayeda directrolein theestablishmentoftheKZNandPondolandMPAs.

EzemveloKZNWildlifewastheleadorganisationin KZN.Nationally,DEA,SANBI,DAFF,

UCT,NMUandtheUniversityofKZNhaveallplayedanimportantrole.

■ TheexpansionofiSimangalisoMPAmakesiSimangalisoWetlandParkthesecondbiggest

WildlifeReservein thecountryafterKruger.

■ PeterJacobs’outreachprogrammeis partofaninitiativecalledSmallStepsSurfing’

http://www.smallstepssurfing.com

■ SouthAfrica’sMarineProtectedAreas,marineprotectedareas.org.za

HandyContacts

@HeritageHouse, StLucia– stylishaccommodationaswellastoursofiSimangalisoincludingestuary

cruises. 035590 1195,atheritagehouse.com,[email protected]

MseniLodge, SodwanaBay.Delightful,comfortablecottagesin unspoiltcoastalforestwithin

iSimangalisoanda shortstrolltothebeach. 033345 6531,[email protected],mseni.co.za

UfuduTurtleTours 082391 1503,ufuduturtletours.co.za

CoralDivers 079384 3679,[email protected],coraldivers.co.za

Withhispartners,ThembaNdlovuand

SbuMlambu,PeterownsUfuduTurtleTours,

theonlyturtle-touroperatorin Sodwana.“We

workhardto increaseawarenessofturtles,”

hesays.“Intheearlydays,manypeoplewho

camehereknewnothingaboutthem.They’d

evendriveoverthenests.”Sincethen,though,

restrictionsonrecreationalbeachdrivinghave

beena factorin theincreaseofturtlenumbers.

JustastheturtlesareiconsofiSimangaliso,

soareSodwanaBay’sreefs,whichPeter

describesaspristine,andasamongtheworld’s

topdivingdestinations.Wemeetanotherlong-

timediverDebzOscroftwhosays,“Onereason

ourreefsarepristineis theprotectiontheearlier

MPAprovided.”

DebzandherhusbandRodwereamong

thefirstdiveinstructorspermanentlybasedin

SodwanaBayin the1990s,andwerethefirst

twoPADIInstructorsto teachat CoralDivers,

theonlydiveoperatorat Sodwanato belocated

insidetheiSimangalisoWetlandPark.“In

Mozambique,localfishermenhavedynamited

a lotofcoralreefsto stunfish.There’sno

controllikethereis here.TheexpandedMPA

is a fantasticthing.It’llpayoffin yearsto

come.Asotherreefsin theworlddieoff,

ourswillstillexist.”

It’ssunriseandwe’reonthebeach

marvellingat a dramaticskyscapeofgun-grey

cloudsfleckedwithmauve,pinkandsilver

 thepromiseofa gloriousday.Anelectric

atmosphereprevailsasbeachstafflineup

thediveboatsclosetothewater.Conditions

inthebayarechoppythismorning.“Itlooks

rough,”I remarktoskipperJoNcube,who

practicallygrewuponthebeachandreads

theoceanlikea book.“It’llbeokay,”he

sayswitha confidentsmile.“Wejusthave

tochoosetherightgap.”

Onebyone,theboatsarepushedintothe

waterandwetsuiteddiversclamberaboard,

excitedat soonenteringanotherworld.“The

sheervolumeofmarinelifeanddiversityon

ourreefsis mind-blowing,”saysDebz,“and

thecorals– about 100 identifiedspecies– are

exquisite.I’vedivedin othertopspotslike

MadagascarandtheRedSeabutin termsof

biodiversity,Sodwanais supreme.”

Longmaythatlast.Andit should,if the

MPArulesareenforced.“Policingneedsto be

a priority,”Petersays.“It’sgreatto haveMPAs,

butwhois enforcingtherules?”According

to Bruce,lawenforcementandpolicingare

currentlyinadequate.“Inmanycasesit’sgoing

to beupto stakeholders(includingfishers)to

supporttheMPAsandhelpprotectthemas

theywillultimatelybenefitfromprocesses

suchasspilloverfromtheMPAs.”

HeemphasisesthatMPAsshouldnot

beseenasthepanaceaforoceanhealth,

it’sjustoneimportanttool.“Goodfisheries

management,controllingpollution,andso

onarejustasimportant.”Buthepointsout

toothattheairwebreathe,therainthatfalls,

theclimateweexperience,areallintimately

dependentonouroceans.Thatmakesusall

stakeholdersin MPAs. ■

MapreferenceC9seeinsidebackcover

ABOVE: A loggerhead hatchling makes a dash for the ocean after breaking
out of its egg on a protected sandy beach in iSimangaliso. The area is the
southernmost breeding site of loggerheads as well as leatherbacks in
Southern Africa. RIGHT: A Peacock Mantis Shrimp eyes the photographer
from its rocky home on a reef off Sodwana Bay. (Picture Coral Divers)

http://www.countrylife.co.za 061 September 2019

MARINE PROTECTED AREAS CONSERVATION