How Valid are MPAs to the South African Marine Environment?

Questions have been raised about the validity of most of the MPAs (and especially further MPAs) to the South African marine environment and about plans to significantly increase protection of the oceans by 2030. Can the outcomes promised, such as conserving biodiversity, ensuring the health of oceans, sustainable use of resources, and providing security against the effects of climate change, really be achieved by MPAs? Some, and the same questions were put to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), WWF SA, and the Biodiversity Law Centre (BLC) who provided the following responses…