How Indispensable Are Marine Protected Areas for Protecting the South African Marine Environment?

Written by Professor Emeritus Doug Butterworth, Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, University of Cape Town

Earlier this year, in an article in the Daily Maverick (23 June 2024), the Acting Deputy Director-General: Oceans & Coasts at the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), Radia Razack commendably emphasised the importance of sustainability. However, she also stated that Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are indispensable tools to protect vital marine ecosystems and species, so as to conserve biodiversity and ensure the long-term health of our oceans (Razack, 2024). But how indispensable are MPAs (and especially further MPAs), as proffered by Razack for South Africa? Her article offers promising outcomes, such as conserving biodiversity, ensuring the health of oceans, sustainable use of resources and providing security against the effects of climate change. Yet on inspection, the article is vague as to how MPAs will achieve these. It is telling that DFFE’s lead scientist on MPAs, when asked recently in a meeting why South Africa needed more MPAs as his Department was advocating, answered that he did not know.